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laurenairay · 4 months ago

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A reason to start over new - T. Jost

Summary: It’s been five years since Lucy has seen her ex-boyfriend Tyson. Can his grandparents’ Christmas party fix their broken hearts?

Happy birthday @senditcolton! This is my fic for your birthday bingo – I had a lot of fun with this one! I chose The Hand Touch, Exes to Lovers, Free Space (Resolved Angst), “You’re Too Good for Me”, and Winter Romance, making it a full bingo! Hope you have a wonderful day Nicole.

A massive thank you to @jostyriggslover96 for reading through this!

Words: 3.3k

Warnings: angst, flashback to breakup, some bad language, self-deprecation.

Title from The Reason, by Hoobastank

I've found a reason for me, To change who I used to be, A reason to start over new, And the reason is you.

“Oh wow, Val and Jim have really outdone themselves this year, haven’t they?”

Lucy glanced around at the Christmas decorations surrounding them, smiling at her mom’s words.

“Full of holiday cheer, as always!” she nodded.

She took off her thick coat and gloves, glad to be out of the icy air, hanging them up on the rack put out for guests.

“Now honey, if it’s too much, you can slip out back and head home, okay?” her mom said seriously, albeit quietly.

“You said that last year. And the year before that. For the last five years, actually,” Lucy mused.

“And I’ve meant it every year. They might be our neighbours, but you are my baby. And my priority, always,” her mom said seriously.

Not for the first time, Lucy was thankful to have the mom she did.

“And I appreciate it. But I’m going to be fine,” she said, smiling fondly.

“Alright, if you’re sure. You just send me a sneaky text if you change your mind though, yes?”

“Yeah, thanks mom,” Lucy beamed.

The Christmas Eve Party thrown by her neighbours was a tradition she’d attended her entire life, and even though she hadn’t dated their grandson in half a decade, Val and John had always insisted that she still came along. A lingering effect of being childhood sweethearts, she supposed.

“Amy! Gary! Lucy!”

The welcome from their neighbours was warm and effervescent as it always was, and soon enough Lucy found herself swept in by conversation and catching up. She may have gone to college in UBC Okanagan in Kelowna for both her degrees, barely away from home, but she’d lived in campus residence for all four years of her bachelor’s degree and moved out of her parents’ house properly into a small apartment near campus for her master’s degree. It would’ve been easy to move home after guaranteed accommodation ended, but Lucy had wanted to keep the independence she had grown to love, and it wasn’t as if she didn’t visit her parents at least every other weekend.

But it was still nice to be able to talk about her accomplishments with the people that she’d grown up alongside, especially now that she was in the final year of her master’s degree and looking like she was on track for starting the PhD she’d always aimed for.

After a couple of hours, she escaped the crowds in the living and dining areas, grateful for the sanctuary of the kitchen. There were a few plates of cookies and other Christmas treats laid out, and Lucy couldn’t resist reaching out for a snickerdoodle…

…at the exact time as someone else.

She jumped in surprise as a large hand rested on top of hers, not realising anyone was next to her, but as she looked up, she couldn’t but to freeze despite the warmth of his touch. Tyson. It was Tyson’s hand touching hers.

“Oh fuck, I’m sorry, I…Lucy?”

“Hey Tys,” she managed to breathe.

The familiar curls, the big beautiful eyes, the sweet smile, and now a little bit of stubble? He looked good. Of course he looked good.

Tyson quickly drew his hand away from hers, breaking her out of her thoughts.

“Uh, you have it, I shouldn’t be eating baked goods too much anyway,” Tyson said, rubbing the back of his neck a little sheepishly.

Lucy pursed her lips and broke a third of the snickerdoodle off, handing it to Tyson with a raised eyebrow. Tyson huffed out a laugh but accepted the offered treat, sending her a small smile of thanks. Fuck, it may have been five years since they broke up, but he really hadn’t changed, had he?

“So, uh, you still come to these parties?” Tyson asked.

Lucy bit her bottom lip but nodded.

“Yeah, your grandparents insist. I hope that’s okay,” she winced.

“Of course it is,” Tyson said quickly, “They always loved you.”

Well that was something at least. Why did this feel so awkward? Sure, it had been five years since she’d seen Tyson, but they dated from eight years – surely they had more than this?

“I don’t usually come to these. Well, I guess you already know that, if you come every year. I, uh, I have the 24th to the 26th off this year, so I didn’t want to miss another Christmas with my grandparents,” Tyson explained.

“I bet Val and Jim were over the moon when you told them,” Lucy mused.

Tyson laughed softly, nodding. “They were. Mom and Kacey didn’t hesitate to come to Kelowna to join us, so it’s a big family Christmas this year.”

“That’s great, Tys. Really. Spending Christmas with your loved ones is important,” she said softly, smiling.

His smile dimmed a little, but he nodded.

“How’s, uh, how’s your degree going? Gramps said you’re doing a master’s now?”

He knew that? Did he ask? Or did Jim just tell him?

“Uh, yeah. I graduated my bachelor's degree magna cum laude back in 2020 and went straight into starting my graduate program there. I’m a paid teaching assistant for my supervisory professor too.”

“That’s incredible, Luce. Still doing Earth and Environmental Sciences?” Tyson prompted.

He remembered? After all this time?

“Yeah, yeah it is. Focusing in on environmental impact assessment for my master’s thesis,” she nodded, a little stunned, “I didn’t think…I didn’t think you’d remember.”

“Of course I remember. You were always so passionate about your studies – it was one of the things I loved most about you,” he said softly.

“Tyson…” Lucy said faintly, trailing off when no words would come.

He smiled sadly at her, shaking his head.

“Sounds like…it sounds like everything was worth it for you,” Tyson murmured.

2019

“So you can’t make it over?”

“No, Tys, I can’t, I have labs to do,” Lucy sighed.

“We haven’t seen each other in so long!”

“I can’t just not go to my classes because you want me in Denver! You know this!” she groaned.

“I know, I know, but it sucks.”

Lucy frowned, even though he couldn’t see her. “You’re the one who didn’t come home for Christmas, remember?”

“The schedule didn’t make sense, and I offered to fly you down?”

“Tyson!” she groaned.

He stayed silent on the other end of the phone, a silence that sent an ominous shiver down her spine.

“So where do we go from here?”

“W-What?” she said, confused at the dull tone of his voice.

“Your priority is college, my priority is hockey, and neither of us can compromise. I would never ask you to compromise, just like you wouldn’t ask me. We have different priorities, clearly. So where do we go from here?”

“Tyson, are you really saying what I think you’re saying?” she whimpered.

“Yeah, I think we should break up.”

“We’ve been together for eight years! You’re the only boyfriend I’ve ever had, the only guy I’ve ever wanted. And you want to break up, just like that?”

“I don’t want to break up, Luce. But what other option do we have? Neither of us can give the other what we need right now. We have to focus on ourselves, don’t we? For our own careers? You have so much ahead of you and I can’t be there to celebrate it. And you can’t be by my side cheering me on from the stands. I love you, Lucy. But this isn’t working anymore.”

“Tyson, why would you say it like that? You think it’s been easy for me?” Lucy asked, throat a little choked.

“No, no, of course not,” he groaned.

“Then what do you mean?”

“Look, forget I said anything, okay? It was really good to see you, Luce.”

Before Lucy could say a word, Tyson walked away, leaving her alone in the kitchen with her head spinning. What the hell was that?

For the final few hours of the party, Lucy indulged in a couple more glasses of wine than she intended, sticking solidly by her parents’ sides. She did her best to keep a smile on her face and ease into the Christmas festivity, even when Laura and Kacey said their hellos, but her mind just kept going back to Tyson.

“We’re going to start saying our goodbyes, okay honey? Why don’t you find all our coats.”

Lucy just nodded at her mom’s suggestion, grateful for the opportunity to escape the crowd. Well, she was grateful, until she saw Tyson sitting on the bench next to the coat rack, face flushed and eyes glassy. He was drunk, at least moderately so.

“Ah, fuck, I didn’t want you to see me like this,” he said, voice slurring.

What did he mean by that?

“I’m just getting our coats. We’re heading out,” she murmured, trying to ignore the whoosh in her stomach.

“Already?”

“It’s nearly midnight, Tys,” she said, smiling wryly.

“Well, fuck. Time flies when you’re having whiskey, I guess,” he groaned, putting his empty glass on the bench next to him.

She huffed out a laugh, unhooking the coats when she finally spotted them.

“You look good, Luce,” he murmured, looking up at her through his eyelashes.

“I do?” she blurted.

Damn it.

But Tyson just grinned. “Yeah, you really do. You always looked good, but damn you’ve really settled into your own skin, eh?”

“I love who I am, yeah,” she nodded.

She wasn’t lying, or even placating. Her studies in environmental impact had opened up a whole new side of her she hadn’t even realised was there, and she loved everything about the person she’d become through it. She just hadn’t realised it was obvious on the outside.

Then again, if anyone was going to notice something like that about her, it was going to be Tyson, wasn’t it?

“You’re too good for me.”

Oh fuck.

“That’s not true. Not even slightly,” Lucy said, frowning.

“No? I can barely get a team to keep me, and you’re soaring ahead with your academic career, just like you deserve,” Tyson scoffed.

This was just the alcohol talking. It had to be.

“Tys, those teams are the ones missing out. You’re amazing,” she said softly.

He paused for a moment, before shaking his head.

“If I’m so amazing, why did we break up?”

Because he had to put hockey first.

Because she had to put college first.

Because neither of them were each other’s first choice.

“That’s not fair, Tyson. We were kids when we first started dating. Barely 13 years old. And we were together for eight years! We had an incredible relationship! It just…we wanted different things. Our priorities were different, our passions were different – we might have grown up together, but we’d also grown apart. Your life is hockey and my life is academics, and that’s okay! That doesn’t mean we didn’t have love, yeah?”

The way that Tyson’s eyes filled up with tears made her own eyes water, dangerous lump rising in her throat.

“If I could go back and change it all, I would. I’d choose you. I’d always choose you.”

His soft words tore a sob from her throat and she shook her head. How could he be so cruel?

“Don’t say that. We made the right decision five years ago and you know it,” she whimpered.

Tyson’s face fell at her devastated expression, and he staggered to his feet.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’m sorry,” he said sadly.

And yet here she was, broken hearted all over again.

“I should go. I need to go,” was all she could manage to choke out.

“Lucy, baby, please…”

But Lucy just shook her head, clutching the coats in her hands, shaky smile on her lips as the tears finally fell. “Merry Christmas, Tyson.”

“So what happened at the Christmas Eve Party that has you all torn up like this?”

Lucy flinched at her mom’s voice, turning her head to see her standing in the doorway to her bedroom.

“Nothing,” she said quickly.

“Uh huh, and I’m a fairy princess,” her mom snorted.

Lucy couldn’t help but giggle, earning a fond smile as her mom walked into the room and sat down next to her on her bed. Lucy placed a bookmark in the book she’d been reading to give her mom her full attention. She’d needed a little respite from all the preparations to hold her dad’s family for a late lunch, after all the intensity of having her mom’s family over yesterday on Christmas Day, but she’d found herself reliving her conversation with Tyson over and over.

“Sounds like…it sounds like everything was worth it for you.”

“You’re too good for me.”

“If I’m so amazing, why did we break up?”

“If I could go back and change it all, I would. I’d choose you. I’d always choose you.”

So really, her mom coming up to talk to her was a welcome break from all of that as well.

“If you know it was the Christmas Eve Party then you can take a guess,” Lucy said, shrugging.

“I’d rather hear it from you, when Tyson’s involved,” her mom mused.

Well at least her mom was blunt about it.

“We had a couple of conversations, and it stirred up old emotions, old drama. He…mom, he said he’d go back and change it all if he could. That he’d always choose me. What am I supposed to do with that?”

Her mom blinked a couple of times, lips parted in a surprised, before she coughed out a laugh.

“Well I could never accuse Tyson of being subtle.”

“Mom, seriously. This is stressing me out. I can’t stop thinking about it,” Lucy groaned.

“I think that’s an answer in itself, sweetheart,” she said softly.

“What?”

Her mom stayed silent, just nudging Lucy with her shoulder, and Lucy nudged back out of habit. What did she mean, that was an answer in itself?

“Lucy, honey, if you can’t stop thinking about Tyson choosing you above everything else, that means something,” her mom eventually said with a huffed laugh.

“But how can it? He still has his hockey, and I still have academics. Neither of those are going to change any time soon,” Lucy said sadly.

Because at the end of the day, that was the bottom line of it all. Their priorities haven’t changed.

“Just because your both still have your passions doesn’t mean that they have to be your only love. You can have both,” her mom said firmly.

What?

“How can I have both?” Lucy asked, confused.

“Do you love him?” was all she said.

“What?” Lucy said, surprised.

“Do you love him?” her mom repeated.

Lucy opened her mouth, shutting it again before huffing out a laugh. There was only one answer to that.

“Yeah, I never stopped,” she replied.

“Then you can have both. You spent the last five years missing him, and I know damn well that that boy missed you too - neither of you deserve that for another second. You can have both,” her mom said decisively.

She could have both?

How could she have both?

“You love him.”

“I love him,” Lucy whispered.

“Go get him.”

Lucy whimpered as she looked into her mom’s eyes, but she only saw warmth and encouragement. Her mom was right. She loved Tyson. She loved Tyson and if seeing him again this Christmas had taught her anything, it was that she was stupid if she tried to deny how much she missed him. If she didn’t tell him now, when would she?

“He leaves today. I need to go now,” she said suddenly.

“Well damn, okay then. Put on a sweater and I’ll find your snow boots,” her mom grinned.

Lucy felt like she was in a haze as she walked as quickly down the street as was safe, heart pounding as she spotted Tyson loading bags into his grandpa’s car.

“Tyson!”

His head whipped around at her shout, eyes going wide as he saw her walking towards him. Tyson shuffled down the driveway, missing Jim’s fond smile as he himself went back into the house, and the moment that she was standing in front of him, Tyson cupped his hands over her elbows to steady her.

“What are you doing here?”

“I love you,” she breathed.

Tyson whimpered, but Lucy wasn’t discouraged, not when she saw the wonder that filled his expression.

“You love me?”

“I love you. I love you so much and I can’t stop thinking about everything you said the other night,” she blurted out.

“Luce, I’m sorry, I know I upset you but…”

“No, Tys, it’s okay,” Lucy said, shaking her head as she interrupted, “While I stand by what I said, that we made the right decision at the time, maybe we could make a different decision now?”

“What are you saying?”

She could understand his hesitation, really she could. It wasn’t as if she wasn’t coming out with this out of the blue, after five years of nothing at all. After five years of heartbreak and heartache. But her mom was right – she missed him so fiercely and she couldn’t bear the thought of him not knowing that.

“I want us to start over new. I never stopped loving you, not for one moment. We could have both. We could have our passions and our love, and I hate that it’s taken me this long to even consider that? I miss you and I love you and I know you’re heading to the airport to fly back to Raleigh, but tell me I’m not crazy for thinking we could do this?”

Tyson’s jaw dropped as he processed her long rant, and it was only his firm grip on her elbows that stopped her from giving up hope.

“That was a lot,” Tyson said.

She winced. “I know, but…”

“And you poured out a lot of emotion there,” he interrupted.

Lucy kept her mouth shut this time, as much as she wanted to beg him to say more.

“It’s been agony for five years, for so many reasons, but hearing you say that you love me and you want to give our relationship another shot? I just…”

Tyson trailed off, letting out a long breath.

“I understand if I’m too late,” she murmured.

But Tyson huffed out a laugh, raising one hand from her elbow to cup her face in a gentle motion that had her breath hitching in her throat.

“There is no world in which you’d be too late,” Tyson said softly.

“Really?”

“I love you too, Lucy. I never stopped either,” he murmured.

She couldn’t stop the incredulous laugh that tumbled from her lips, smiling back up at Tyson as he smiled at her.

“We’re really doing this?” she asked, giddy.

“Yeah, baby, we are. I don’t know how we’re going to do this, or what it’s going to look like, but we’re both adult enough to know how to put in more effort this time round right, yeah? I’ll fly home for the all-star break, and I’ll fly you out for spring break, and we’ll have video calls that neither of us are going to miss. And everything else. We’re going to make it work this time,” he said, tone serious but face grinning.

“And we’re going to communicate, yeah? When one of us is finding it hard? We’ll find little compromises, as we can’t do the big compromises. We’re worth it,” Lucy added, not caring that her cheeks were aching with her smile.

“Yeah, we are. I love you, so much Lucy,” Tyson grinned.

“I love you too.”

Tyson didn’t waste any time in leaning down to press his lips to hers, their last first kiss.

#my writing #tyson jost fic #nicole's b-day bingo #tyson jost x reader #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost fanfic #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey fanfic

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ohmyeyesmyeyes · 1 year ago

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with you - t. jost

tyson jost x f!reader

warnings: hospitals, swearing, fainting/dizziness/light-headedness, mentions of blood tests, medical inaccuracies, implant as a method of hormonal contraception, anxiety, pregnancy, implications of sex, mention of alcohol (lmk if there's more)

< a/n: this has an abrupt ending so i apologise in advance >

word count: 8.1k

Your eyes were glued to the screen of your phone, watching Tyson’s contact photo wander to the parking lot of the golf club. Your foot was bouncing on the linoleum bed they’d put you on, arm laid flat against the surface, a cotton wool ball taped at the crease of your inner elbow.

The phone itself was leaning against your thighs, still clad in your sports leggings, and your free hand was anxiously pulling at your bottom lip.

The thumping in your chest was way too prominent to ignore, and you guessed it was the knowledge that you’d most definitely feel better if he was with you that had you pressing his contact number.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He picked up on the second ring, airy tone already suggesting he was smiling.

Almost instantly the sound of his voice seemed to ease the knot in your chest, and you sighed into the phone, your bouncing foot stilling, “Hi,” you started, the words lined up in your brain and dancing on the end of your tongue, yet somehow still stuck behind the blockade of apprehension, “um–”

“Are you okay?” Tyson’s worried voice cut through your phone, somehow clearer than it had been ten seconds ago.

You nodded to yourself, sucking in a deep breath and trying to prepare yourself for what you were about to tell him, but it didn’t seem to have the desired effect to the desired extent. Your chest was still heavy and your mind was racing, and you were vaguely aware of the fact that he’d cut his car engine because your silence was worrying him, “I’m fine,” it was a partial truth, “I just…Are you sitting down?”

It was his turn to hesitate, “Yeah.” Then, in a low voice, just a smidge harsher than a whisper, “Baby, you’re kind of scaring me right now.”

You blinked, “Don’t be scared, and definitely don’t freak out.”

“Now I’m scared and freaking out. What–”

“I’m fine, okay?” The more you repeated that, the less confident you felt in the weight of them, your certainty wavering by the second–

“You keep saying that, but you sound like you’re not.” His voice was soft, still most definitely concerned, but still displaying an insane amount of patience.

If the roles had been reversed (although, considering Tyson most definitely could not get pregnant, this situation was a little different), there was absolutely no way you would have been able to maintain that same level-headedness if he was on the phone sounding as completely out of it as you assumed you did.

You swallowed, feeling a multitude of emotions begin to simmer under your skin – so much so that trying to dissect and analyse each pound of your heart or tremble of your fingers was exhausting – and you could feel your previous shock-induced numbness begin to fade, “I need you to pick me up from the hospital–”

“Said no fine person ever!”

You ignored his rather panicked comment, instead soldiering through before you lost your nerve, “I’m not injured, nothing’s broken, nothing hurts, but I fainted out at tennis and Sabine drove me here. I can’t come home by myself for another two hours, but I want to come home now and the only way I can do that is if someone picks me up.”

Silence.

You felt your eyes prickle slightly – you were so overwhelmed the lightheadedness felt like it could start to make a comeback, “Tys?”

A dry sniffle sounded through the phone, and before his voice cut through to answer you, the sound of the engine spurred back to life, “Of course I’ll come and get you. I’m on my way, ‘kay? Just pulling out the lot right now, I’ll be about fifteen minutes.”

“Okay.” You whispered, focusing your eyes on the ceiling and trying to get your breathing under control.

“How are you feeling now?” He asked gently, just the sound of his voice giving you something else to focus on besides the flickering lightbulb and the calling of other names from the waiting room outside.

“Better than I did earlier. They gave me something to eat so I don’t feel as weak, but the lightheadedness is kind of still kicking around. The dizziness has gone, but my arm’s a little sore from where they took my blood.”

You could picture him behind the wheel of his car, phone hooked up to the Bluetooth system, a crease between his brows and the telltale tilt of a frown playing at the corners of his mouth. He hadn’t shaved recently, a soft scruff coming in, and your hands tingled in remembrance. He’d be warm, too, a vast contrast to your current state.

It wasn’t just the room you were in either, even despite wearing a hoodie, you were freezing. Your hands and feet were almost numb, and your skin was littered with goosebumps – it was the stress of the entire day manifesting into physical symptoms.

“Bl..” He began, sentence trailing off, “Bloods – is it anything serious?” He rambled, voice straining slightly.

It was serious. Very serious – life changing, in fact. But not serious in the way he was insinuating.

So you lied; it wasn’t the sort of thing to tell over the phone, much less when he was driving, and if you were being honest, you wanted to keep the news to yourself a little while longer just to mull it over and let it sink in, “No, nothing serious,” there was a twinge of guilt that nested itself under your ribs, “They said it was caused by low blood pressure from my hormones.”

He made a noise of acknowledgement, not delving further into the reason as to why it was caused by your hormones – something you were grateful for – before continuing, “You didn’t hurt yourself when you fainted did you? Your head’s okay, right?”

Despite yourself, you cracked a small smile at his questions, “You should know.” It was a half-hearted attempt to try to reassure him, and judging from the short huff of laughter, it did so to an extent, “But no, I didn’t. I was literally warming up and then out of nowhere, I was just hit with this wave of dizziness. I thought it’d sort itself out when I sat out for a bit, but it got worse and the next thing I know I’m waking up to Sabine kneeling next to me saying I passed out.” You sighed again. Your brain hadn’t shut up since the whole incident had occurred, and, cautiously, almost curiously, you slid your sore arm under your jumper.

It felt weird, perhaps a little silly considering the fact that there was nothing to show for said pregnancy just yet, but as you gently skimmed a thumb over the skin, your nerves spun on their head a little. It was anticipation, with a peppering of excitement.

It had been a wedding that started everything; a friend of yours from high school was marrying their college sweetheart and you’d dragged Tyson along (freshly from your second year anniversary) with the intention of spending a few days away from the chaos of the NHL and the uncertainty surrounding his career.

Amidst it all, you’d both somehow become the in-ceremony babysitters – unintentionally. It turned out Tyson seemed to be some kind of magnet for all things hockey related, including children and rogue pucks. So when a rubber disk was flicked too high and too wide, hitting someone in the middle of their back, he’d taken it upon himself to teach the ones playing on the grass (how they’d made playing hockey work on uncut grass you had no idea) how to properly control and flick the sticks with more precision, and, you wanting a break from the mini high school reunions, had followed him, taking a seat on the banking of the hill.

It was a good view, even more so when the sun had started to drop, casting an orangey glow from behind you. Tyson had been teaching about ten kids the ways of hockey for a while by that point, them completely enraptured by what he was saying. He’d let the bigger kids go off by themselves, and was crouching in front of a five year old girl, pigtails held up by pink ribbons, helping her when she couldn’t quite get the grip right on the stick. The boys had wandered off, leaving her by herself, even though you’d heard her shout after them, but Tyson had stayed.

He’d shed his blazer a while ago, and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and even though you knew how expensive his dress pants were he’d not even thought twice about kneeling on the dewy ground. Everything about the entire scene was endearing – in the way that had you falling in love with him even more.

You barely held yourself back from dropping your head in your hands when the little girl had reached out to tug on one of his curls inquisitively, giggling when it bounced back immediately. And when he ducked and shook his head for her to see?

You could have died happily.

But you, on the other hand, also had company of sorts.

From where you’d initially sat down by yourself on the banking, a glass of Prosecco in your hand, a group of three girls had slowly migrated towards you, led by sheer curiosity.

One looked around nine, wearing a deep purple tulle dress with butterflies embroidered along the bottom, and was holding hands with another little girl who could barely walk without assistance and looked half asleep. The third must have been about six or seven, trainers on her feet, with a green jumpsuit.

Green jumpsuit was Fiona, purple tulle was Iris and the toddler with ruddy cheeks and a pink pinafore dress was Eden.

And two out of three of the girls had their eyes focused on your hands, where you’d been picking daisies and knotting them to form a chain.

It barely took five minutes, a reassurance from Iris that, yes, Eden’s parents are aware she’s taken her for a walk, and yes, they do trust her to look after her as long as she’s with Fiona, and within no time you’d found yourself showing the older girls how to make the daisy chains, and somehow, somewhere along the lines, Eden had slumped her head against your chest, legs kicked out around your waist, and was snoring gently on your collarbone.

After that, it had been difficult to keep sneaking glances at Tyson due to your stolen attention, but that was your moment. It was the moment.

Watching the girls cheer in excitement and giggle and smile at each other and boast about their successful daisy chains, eventually showing them off to Tyson when the little girl he’d been teaching had joined the boys (she’d stunned them with her determined flicks into their makeshift net) and he’d climbed up the banking to sit with you.

It wasn’t his moment, that much you knew, but it certainly solidified what he’d already decided, and you could tell just in the way he’d taken a seat next to you, leaning back on his elbows with his legs stretched out down the hill. It was in the way he’d looked at you with the girls, with Eden, in the way his smile seemed to physically split his cheeks, in the way they seemed to turn a little bit pink when you raised a knowing eyebrow in his direction at his lack of subtlety. It was also in the way he’d leant himself towards you, hand tracing shapes on the red silk at your hips, before gently tracing the seams of Eden’s baby shoes.

Neither of you had actually brought up the unspoken yet entirely noticeable change until you’d both tucked yourself under the duvet in your hotel room.

“Are you still awake?” You whispered into the darkness, eyes trained to where you knew the ceiling to be.

You knew he wasn’t because he’d been pretty still – a stark contrast to his usual fidgeting and shuffling. Though, as soon as you’d spoken you could feel and hear the rustle of the duvet as he rolled onto his side, eyes burning into the side of your face from where you’d laid on your back.

“I can’t sleep.” He admitted, sighing through his nose, the action blowing strands of your own hair into your face.

You didn’t say anything for a moment, body still but mind loud.

Then you flicked your bedside light on and rolled towards the middle of the bed, nearly nose to nose with Tyson, who, up close and personal, looked more awake than he definitely should have been considering the fact that it was getting on to half past one in the morning.

“Do you want to talk about it?” You whispered, watching his face closely.

Gentle brown eyes pierced your gaze, his lashes fluttering when he blinked, hair separated into curls after the late night shower, and something in his jaw ticked. It elicited your own motions, a tentative hand reaching up to brush your fingers over his chin, soft stubble greeting your touch.

“Yeah.” He mumbled, nudging his chin further into the palm of your hand until you were cupping his cheek, thumb swiping lightly against his cheekbone, before retracting your hand and using it to tug the covers closer to your chin.

Even the broach of the topic on both your minds was enough to feel uncharacteristically shy in his presence. Strangely, it felt intimate, leaving you feeling somewhat vulnerable and sheepish.

“You first.”

His face broke into a small smile at your comment, and you rolled your eyes at his teasing laughter.

“Okay,” he started, laughter dying out as a hint of seriousness bled into his tone, “I want kids. Plural. I mean, I think I’ve always known I wanted them, but now I’m at an age where it’s…I’m not a teenager anymore, I’m not immune to being broody. And I guess after today, seeing you with those girls got me thinking about us in the future, and I do want kids. With you.” He pursed his lips, looking at you with hopeful eyes, before nodding.

Your turn.

You swallowed, heart pounding a little at his admission, “I…” you sucked in a breath, nerves having skyrocketed completely, “I’d never really thought about having my own children before, I guess because I’d always just thought I’d be happy with my life with or without having them – like, I wouldn’t feel like something was missing if I never had kids, y’know?”

He nodded, listening intently.

“That being said, recently – and not just today – I don’t know, I think you’ve changed my mind.”

He furrowed his brows, “Me?”

You nodded, “And your mom and sister. You come from such a loving family, and…” you sighed, frustrated, “I don’t know how to say it, but I think if I was with any other person, the idea of kids wouldn’t be so appealing, but because it’s you, having children half you and half me just seems like an absolute dream.” You took a breath, “And it’s not just because I kind of knew you already wanted kids even though you didn’t actually say it, but I came to that decision by myself.”

Tyson smiled properly this time, teeth and everything, with creases appearing on the corner of his eyes. You felt yourself furrow your brows, thoroughly confused with his blatant joy and lack of words, not entirely knowing what to do or what to say.

“Say something.” You urged, his warm palm landing on your back as he used the leverage to pull you closer, coaxing you to drape a leg across his hip as he breathed a laugh.

“Holy shit, you’re so in love with me it’s actually kind of embarrassing.” You could practically feel him roll his eyes as he moved onto his back, pulling you with him so he could wrap an arm around your shoulders and weave his hand in your hair, pulling it away from your face.

“Excuse m–”

“But that’s okay, y’know. I’m also embarrassingly in love with you too, so it’s not that bad.” He pressed a sweet kiss to your temple, but before he could continue you pushed yourself up onto your elbow, his arm dropping to our waist.

“That’s not the end of this conversatio–”

“Even more so now than, like, five minutes ago.” He interrupted, eyes focused on the ceiling with a dopey grin on his face.

You didn’t know if he was even aware of the fact you were talking, or if he was stuck in his own head, imagining your children–

“You mean when I told you that I wanted to have your babies and your babies only?” You teased, poking him in the cheek.

This time it was evident that he’d heard you because his eyes rolled into his head and he dragged both hands away from you and ran them down his face, groaning out loud. You laughed at his reaction, his hands tangling into his curls as though even the sight of you was too much for him at that moment, “My heart can’t take this,” he shook his head, “you’re killing me, woman. I honestly think I can’t love you more, and then you say shit like that and it just makes me want to propose on the spot.”

You felt your cheeks burn instantaneously at that confession, and you tilted your head, eyes wide, “It makes you want to what now?”

He blinked, “Um–”

“You can’t get shy on me now, Tys.”

“Like you haven’t been thinking about it either.” He said with full conviction as he too pushed himself onto his elbows, the both of you now essentially sat up in bed, covers pooling around your middle.

You shrugged coyly, “I–This has nothing to do with me, I was asking you.”

His eyes were wide, a smile on his face despite the disbelieving scoff that passed his lips, “I didn’t think it was a secret that I’m gonna marry you at some point in the future.”

You stuttered, mouth opening and shutting. He was right, it wasn’t exactly a secret as such, what with both your families and friends making jokes and whatnot, but…it was different hearing it come from his mouth. In confidence.

So, you switched it up a little, “Before or after children?”

He froze, this time it was his turn to stutter, “What?”

“Marriage. Before or after children?”

He straightened, tilting his head with some amusement, “That depends on when you want to come off birth control, sweetheart.”

If you weren’t so suddenly awake, you’d have stalled at his words, at the sweet yet condescending way he used the term of endearment reserved only for you. But your brain was going a mile a minute, and you were way too fired up to even consider letting him leave you speechless.

“We’re twenty-two, I don’t want kids yet for at least another couple of years. Twenty-five, maybe. It might change depending on whether or not you propose, though.”

The challenge was there, laid out in the open for him – you’d put the ball in his court pretty much. Whether or not you’d change your mind if he did propose was another thing altogether, but you had no preference.

“Change how?” He shot back.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see, yeah?” You raised a brow.

He blinked, that irritating smirk still on his face. Your fingers itched to snatch the pillow next to you and whack him with it, but you refrained, waiting patiently for an answer.

“Yes, ma’am.” He muttered, sarcastically.

You rolled your eyes, throwing yourself back on the mattress with a dramatic flair. Tyson copied you, still using his elbow to hover over you with that grin still on his face, “Cheeky bastard.”

He winked, “Your cheeky bastard though. The cheeky bastard you want to have children with – wait, how many do you want?”

You inhaled, taking him in. He’d worn a soft black t-shirt to bed, one that, now as he hovered over you, just seemed to make him look so incredibly, deliciously broad. The kind of good-looking that had you debating whether or not to retract your previous statement of having your implant taken out in another three years.

Though, with the one you’d just had put in, you’d be twenty-five when you’d have to replace it…you could just not.

“Two to three.” You said, “One would be lonely, and four would be too much. Depends how the first one goes, too.”

He nodded, something on the tip of his tongue, but thought better of it, instead leaning down (thus, taking you by surprise given the previous nature of the conversation) and planting a slow kiss on your lips. He pulled away slightly, a smile on his face, his hair tickling your forehead, “You were so just checking me out, weren’t you?”

You shook your head, a hand on the back of his neck pulling him back into you to avoid answering the question.

He laughed, resting his forehead on yours for a moment before something seemed to occur to him, “Are you fussy about what we’d have?”

“No, I’d just like one of each at least. What about you?” You swiped his hair back, watching in delight when his curls flopped back over his forehead.

“Same as you.”

Another kiss.

“You never said how many you wanted.” You pointed out, fingers once more grazing against his cheeks.

Maybe you’d underestimated the power of being broody, because after what you’d witnessed it was like a switch had been flicked in your brain because you could not stop touching him.

He collapsed into his shoulder, forcing you to turn your head to keep your eyes on him, “Two or three. I think you’re right about the four kid thing, though. I couldn’t have imagined growing up with two more siblings on top of Kacey.”

“Even the thought of four kids is exhausting.”

“Yeah.”

“Speaking of exhaustion…” you muttered, stifling a yawn with the back of your hand.

Accomplished. That’s how you felt having that incredibly mature (it had its moments) and very adult conversation.

You’d essentially just planned the next five years with the man next to you, and although the thought of having kids and everything that would entail — should it happen — was terrifying, it felt right.

You’d switched off the bedside lamp and rolled over towards the middle of the bed when something else occurred to you; a rogue idea you’d had once that had seemingly flashed back up once you’d shut your eyes, “When you grow a pair and propose, I’d like it if you wear a ring too. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy if you don’t want, maybe like one of those titanium ones.”

He shuffled, and you could hear the smirk in his voice as he looked back at you, “Possessive much?”

You shrugged, “We’re engaged to each other, I don’t know why only women typically wear the rings…and there’s no harm in sending a hint.”

Tyson hummed, “Whatever you say.”

That entire conversation had been three years ago. You’d had your implant removed and not replaced around five months ago…and you’d not exactly been careful during sex because ‘it’ll happen when it happens’, only it happened. You’d talked about it happening early, enough to the point that you’d done your research and prepped everything in terms of checking finances, but it didn’t mean you weren’t…shocked.

There was just simply nothing that could prepare you for the actual moment.

Nor, it seemed, seeing Tyson after everything that had happened. You’d been holding everything in, the fear, the shock – not just of the pregnancy, but the whole fainting debacle, and getting a blood test and being seen to by multiple doctors all by yourself. Sabine had dropped you off and waited with you in the ER waiting area but that had been the extent of it; she’d had to go pick up her kids from her sister’s or something, and…something else you couldn’t quite remember.

But you’d heard him before you’d seen him, and then the door to your room was opening, a nurse walking through first and offering you a knowing smile before he’d all but barrelled through the doorway, somewhat frazzled. You’d been sitting with your legs slung off the side of the bed when you heard him ask for you at the desk, and almost instantaneously his eyes had zeroed in on the cotton wool ball now screwed up next to you.

“I’m fine–” The words died in your throat when he immediately wrapped you in a warm hug, moving to stand between your dangling legs with one arm wrapped around your waist, his left hand curled around the base of your neck and your face tucked into the curve of his neck.

The coolness of the ring on his hand soothed you somewhat, but as soon as the door shut and the nurse left, you lifted your arms to hug him across his back, sniffling wetly as the tears began to accumulate along your waterline.

“Hey, hey, shh, shh, it’s okay,” his hand rubbed up and down your back, and he pulled away slightly, running a thumb under your eyes to wipe the tears away before they could fall, “you’re okay–”

“I just–I’ve never fainted before,” you took a shaky breath, trying to compose yourself, eyes watery and blurring your view of him, “It just took me by surprise, and I don’t know…it was scary.” You let out a watery and rather self-deprecating laugh, taking a deep breath and running your hands over your face to remove the evidence of tears, bar red cheeks and puffy eyes.

Tyson said nothing, simply ran his hands over the tops of your thighs as he waited patiently for you to calm down. In all honesty, he’d never really seen you have an emotional outburst like that – no matter how short. Sure, he’d seen you cry; your childhood dog was put down in your first year together and he’d held you in Colorado, hundreds of miles away from your own home; he’d seen you cry for him (however much you tried to hide the few loose tears) when everything went down with Minnesota; he’d seen you cry over the ‘heartfelt, charming’ film you’d put on one day (‘Red Dog’, it was called) that destroyed both your souls; and he’d helped you through grief, from the days you’d need space to the days you’d just need him to sit with you.

But never in your entire relationship had he seen you cry from terror, let alone such a cathartic release of emotion. He’d heard your wobbly voice crack over the phone and done his best to try to take your mind off it, but he knew by the way you’d just barely held it together at the mere sight of him that there was something amiss.

“I know it’s scary, sweetheart, when you told me, I was scared too. It’s a completely normal reaction, okay?” He was talking softly, neck bent slightly so he could look at you, and his fingers tenderly swiped some of your flyaways back from where they’d escaped from your updo.

You ached at his compassion, the gentle touches and sneaking glances at your arm, and at the thought of him looking after your baby like that almost sent you down another emotional spiral, but you straightened slightly, trying a small smile no matter how it wobbled.

“I’ve never cried like that before.” Was all you said, a watery laugh falling from your lips just as he nodded.

“I know.” He offered a small smile, “Bet it felt good, though.”

“Cathartic.” You agreed.

“Today’s been pretty hectic for you, huh?”

Oh, he had no idea.

This time you smiled properly, eyes and lashes still wet as he passed you a tissue from the box next to the bed, you dabbing under your eyes.

“Yeah.” You inhaled through your nose once more, expelling out of your mouth, “I’m so tired. When we get home can we camp out on the couch?”

He smiled, crinkles appearing at the corners of his eyes, “You’re insane if you think I’d let you do anything else after today.” You rolled your eyes at that, not having the heart to argue with him, “How’re you feeling now? Faint? Light-headed?”

“No, I feel fine now. Do I look okay?” You scrunched up the tissue, throwing it in the bin, only to look back at Tyson, who was still standing between your legs and was arching a brow in your direction, his hands having moved from your body to come to rest on his own hips.

“You look stunning. You always do.” He deadpanned, thumbs caressing your cheeks before he leaned forward, you meeting him halfway in a delicate kiss.

“You have to say that.”

“I don’t have to say anything. I could tell you look horrible, but then I’d be lying, and breaking our vows–”

“We’re not married.”

“Yet.”

“We’ve both got rings but nothing is actually official–”

“Let me have this one, please.”

“I just fainted, you let me have this one.” You complained, throwing your head back in his grip, hand instinctively going up to hold his wrist when he leaned in for another short kiss.

“Only because I love you.”

You rolled your eyes, “Fucking hell, you’re really gullible–”

“You just fainted, my so-called gullibility is reasonable.”

“Whatever. In all seriousness, though, does it look like I’ve been crying?” You pointed at your eyes, knowing they’d be red-rimmed and still a little watery after that, and he winced slightly.

“Yes.”

You sighed, dropping your head, “You know what, I don’t even care anymore. I just want to go home.”

Tyson nodded, “Is everything sorted out with the doctors?”

“I have a follow-up appointment in a few days–”

“I thought it wasn’t serious?” His voice did that thing it did earlier, right after you’d told him you’d fainted. It went up, both in pitch and harshness, and there was a crease between his brows and a frown playing at his lips.

Said follow-up was actually a dating scan, your first ultrasound to make sure everything’s healthy and whatnot, but in the meantime you’d decided you wanted to tell him outside of a placeless hospital room surrounded by strangers.

Oddly enough it was Father’s Day in two days. Technically his first one, too.

You’d decided on his way to pick you up that that’s when you’d tell him, and you could keep a secret from him that long.

“It’s not serious, but because of the low blood pressure they just need to make sure it was a one-time thing.” You waved a hand, ignoring his gaze as you jumped off the bed, moving to pick up your backpack on the chair.

The handle of the tennis racket was poking out the top, taunting you (even despite the mess of emotion swimming around you right now, you were still kind of bummed you missed out on that), but before you could even bend down to pick it up, a very familiar hand reached out and snatched it up before you, his black titanium ring glinting under the lights as he swung it over his shoulder.

“Can I come with you to that appointment?” He asked, holding his hand out for you to grab, innocently pretending to ignore the glare you were sending his way.

“Sure.” You nodded, feigning nonchalance, as though you hadn’t purposefully booked the appointment on the day you knew he didn’t have any plans.

***

Father’s Day, despite having only been two days away, came incredibly quickly. It felt like you’d barely blinked before you were sneaking out of bed in the morning to make Tyson some tea and breakfast.

You’d kept the breakfast simple, just a couple of slices of toast and jam, as well as some extras for you because you couldn’t risk him wandering downstairs and ruining his own surprise. The card you’d picked out with assistance from Kacey over FaceTime was in your bedside drawer, but it was the mug that was important, too.

Weirdly enough it was absolutely the right amount of subtle for a quiet announcement. It was a handmade mug, a dainty, cream thing with words pressed onto the inside base, so when he’d finish his tea the words ‘WE’RE PREGNANT!’ would be visible at the bottom. The plan was, you’d decided, to wait for him to nearly finish his tea, and then hand him the card, so that way the card thing would be fool-proof, but also partly because you were way too nervous to actually tell him yourself using actual words out of your own mouth.

You’d thought about what his reaction might be, but given the fact that he’d practically buzzed with eagerness after you’d asked him if it’d be okay with him if you didn’t get your implant replaced, and the fact that every time you went out for a foodshop he’d get lost and coincidentally be found in the baby clothes section, you’d say he’d probably have a pretty enthusiastic reaction.

Kacey had tried to bet $20 he’d cry, but given the fact that you also agreed with her, she’d dropped it completely.

You took a deep breath, straightening the plate on the tray to calm your nerves, your engagement ring getting caught in the light coming in from the window. It glittered, iridescent colours dancing against the cupboards, and it was at that moment that you realised you’d have to make adjustments to the wedding planning.

“Marriage. Before or after children?”

Looked like that one was still up in the air.

The quiet tiptoe up the stairs carrying a wobbling tray was one mean challenge and a half, especially considering the fact that you couldn’t see your feet and you were also trying to avoid any creaking floorboards.

You nudged the bedroom door open with your foot, peeking around the corner and cheering internally when you saw Tyson was still face down on his pillow, arms above his head, shoulders and back muscles prominent.

You paused, unable to help biting your lip at the view.

Fuck, you hoped your kids would have his hair.

You didn’t bother shutting the door behind you, making your way around to your side of the bed, the shadows from your figure blocking the light from the window causing Tyson to blink slowly at the interruption.

“Good morning.” You hummed, putting the tray on the floor and leaning across the mattress and gently pressing a kiss against his lips, quickly removing yourself before he had the chance to pull you any closer.

You heard a grunt of disapproval before he yawned audibly, arms stretching up from where you’d crouched on the floor to pick up his tea and toast.

“Morning.” He groaned, pushing himself to sit as you placed his toast on his bedside table and handed him his tea, his ring clinking against the porcelain.

Before you could walk back to your side, his free hand caught yours, gently tugging you towards him, a confused and bleary expression still on his face, “Did I forget something?”

You shook your head, kissing him once more when he puckered his lips in your direction, and he nodded, seemingly satisfied with your answer before taking a sip of his tea and twirling the lone diamond ring on your finger before letting you go.

From the way you could feel his eyes burning into you when you climbed back into bed, your own breakfast in your hands, you thought maybe he’d caught on to something. That maybe he’d figured something was up to warrant a rare ‘breakfast in bed’.

“I just woke up earlier than usual, couldn’t wait for you to wake up.” Was all you said, hoping it’d suffice for now.

He nodded again, this time taking a bite of his toast, “How come you woke up early?”

You shrugged, feigning nonchalance. You knew avoiding eye contact would be suspicious but if it was even more intense he’d definitely know something was up, “Just did.”

His chewing seemed to slow, and he furrowed his brows, “Are you feeling okay?”

You swallowed, anxiety levels slowly beginning to creep up, “Yeah, why?”

“You look flustered, is all.”

You pulled a face, “In what way?”

“I don’t know, you just—Are you not telling me something?” He was nervous now, his eyes wider than usual as he washed down his toast with a gulp of tea.

You held your breath as he did so, expecting him to look inside the mug but he stubbornly kept his eyes on you, assessing every square inch of your face like the apparent secret he was accusing you of was written there.

“Did you break something?” He brought the mug to rest on top of the covers on his lap, his spare hand playing apprehensively with his bottom lip.

You couldn’t help it when you laughed at him, “No.”

He still didn’t look convinced, and you found his confusion adorably endearing in that moment.

Until your phone dinged on your bedside table. Then, his expression narrowed, a hint of a smile curling at his mouth as you blatantly ignored it.

“Don’t you want to know who’s messaging you at nine on a Sunday morning?” He teased, placing his mug on his bedside table as he scooted further into the middle of the bed, purposefully crowding into your space.

You hid your face in your mug, tapping your fingers against the porcelain and attempting to hide the smile that had suddenly appeared on your face as he not-so-subtly manoeuvred his arm over your shoulder. There was a scuffle of fingertips against the surface of the table, and you saw him frown out of the corner of your eye, scruff just grazing your forehead as he looked over your head, successfully snatching up your phone.

He made no move to look at the home screen notification, instead just picking it up and planting it on your lap without a care.

You rolled your eyes, faking a dramatic sigh at his insisting, “I already know who’s texting me.”

At that he stalled, head tilting as he used the hand on your shoulder to tangle and play with your hair, “Who?”

You blinked, giving in and picking up your phone, ignoring his watchful eyes, “Kacey.”

“Kacey?” He echoed, “My Kacey?”

“Yeah.” You placed your mug and plate on the table, giving your phone your full attention.

“Why is Kacey texting you?” He rested his chin on your shoulder, breath fanning softly across your neck in a huff as you switched your phone off, not allowing him to read the messages, which – even taken out of context – were rather incriminating.

“Because we’re friends.” You shut your eyes to avoid being poked in the face by your own hair as he purposefully raked it over your face as he removed his hand from your shoulder.

“Obviously,” he drawled, rolling his eyes, “But you’re being weird.”

You sighed, throwing your phone to the end of the bed and giving him your full attention.

He’d caught on already, before either of you had even finished breakfast. It was earlier than you’d initially planned for, but with the kicked puppy/borderline worried expression on his face as he fiddled with his ring and waited for you to ease his mind, you felt yourself soften.

“Is it about the hospital thing?” He murmured, pursing his lips as though to brace himself for something bad.

His head was hung, but he was still looking at you, “Yes.” You held his hand, stopping the alarmed expression that had instantly taken hold of him, “But it’s nothing bad, I swear. I’m gonna get you something, but can you drink some more tea?”

You neglected to throw him a reassuring look, too focused on the task at hand, but bargained on the fact that he’d drink the tea like before: his eyes carefully trained on you as he took a few gulps to ease his nerves.

Your fingers caught the edge of the card, pulling it out of the drawer and slamming it shut to turn and face a severely anxious Tyson. His jaw was clenched and his fingers were tapping on the mug you’d given him.

When you produced the envelope, however, the tension in his jaw seemed to slacken, the unease melting into uncertainty – it only seemed to magnify when you, with shaking hands, passed it to him.

He swallowed, the curve of his neck bobbing slightly, “It’s got my name on it.”

Your lip caught between your teeth for a moment (you absolutely tried to quell the rising agitation within yourself watching him, but it was partly a losing game), other hand offering to take the tea from his hand.

He took the card from you gently, gladly letting you take his almost empty mug (you drank the rest of it, able to see the writing at the bottom), and held your breath in anticipation.

He untucked the lip of the envelope, gently sliding the card out.

You’d put it backwards, the front design hidden from his eyes unless he turned it over, and waited. Your eyes briefly flickered to his shirtless chest. He was breathing a little heavier than usual, predictably from the nerves because you’d left him in the dark about something important, and you knew if you placed your palm over his chest his heart would be hammering.

He went to turn the card over, but stopped, his brown eyes flickering to you, “Why am I scared?”

You smiled, patience wearing thin, “Just turn it over.”

He inhaled deeply, flicking the card over.

He blinked.

The card you’d picked was pretty simple – on the front there was one acronym: DILF. It wasn’t in large letters either, about 96% of the entire front was blank, and there was a single full stop at the end.

The message was pretty clear, you thought, but after about ten seconds of Tyson’s silence, his mouth repeating the word over and over, a slight crease on his forehead, perhaps from either denial or confusion, you’d concluded that he wasn’t completely grasping the message.

You remained quiet, heart hammering almost painfully against your ribs.

“DILF.” He muttered, opening the card, mouth parting in shock at the slip of paper that fell out onto his lap.

He made a move to pick up the paper, sending you a glance that had you thinking maybe he’d got a brief idea of what you were intending, but not let himself get too hopeful until he was properly sure.

Sure as if it came from your mouth, or sure as in a copy of your blood test results from two days ago in his hand with the words ‘pregnant’ scribbled on the receipt in your handwriting.

He froze, tensing on the bed. He seemed to blink a few times, before inhaling sharply, arms lip at his side and head swung in your direction, “I’m pregnant?” He breathed shakily, and you bit back a soft smile at the tears already glistening on his lash line and a slight quiver in his chin.

And at his muddled words you breathed a laugh, but before you could even move to confirm his accusation, he was shaking his head, “I mean, y…you’re pregnant?”

You felt your own eyes prick, “Yeah.” You sniffled, curling into the pillow under your head from where you’d sunk back under the duvet when you’d given him the card.

You showed him the mug, and like a snapped elastic band, as soon as he read the words imprinted there, dropped the receipt onto his lap and covered his face with his hands, shoulders shaking. Your reaction was delayed in itself – you’d expected him to be a little emotional given how excited he’d been at the mere thought of being a dad, but not to the uncontrollable sobbing extent.

After you put the mug back down on the side of the bed, you wasted no time in positioning yourself on his lap, gently taking a hold of his wrists and pulling them away from his face. His eyes were rimmed red and a little puffy, cheeks wet with tears, but he wasn’t frowning. There was a wobbly smile on his face that seemed to twitch every now and again and when you wiped his cheeks dry, unable to suppress your own grin, he seemed to calm down.

He wasn’t hiccupping anymore, but his breathing was a little heavy and his cheeks rosy.

“I’m glad I didn’t tell you when you were standing up.” You teased, brushing his hair back with your hand.

“Me too.” He sniffled, looking up at you through damp lashes and a watery gaze.

“Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that.”

You tilted your head adoringly, “I’m not the one currently crying.”

He nodded, agreeing, “We’re really lucky. Some people wait years to get here, or for some people it just doesn’t happen, and I’m just so grateful, I…” he trailed off, eyes looking straight up at the ceiling to blink away a fresh bout of tears.

“It’s okay to cry.” You mumbled, sliding your arms around his shoulders, pulling him in for a tight hug as he sniffled again, his hands on your lower back, pressing you into him as close as he could. His uneven breaths tickled your neck, and one of your arms draped across his back, tracing lines against his skin in the soothing manner he likes.

After a couple of minutes, breathing back to normal and tears at bay, he pulled back, a question on his lips as, once more, you wiped away his tears, “When did you find out?”

You were so fucking in love with this man. Gone. Ruined. Whatever.

Before you could even consider answering, he pushed himself further down the headboard, taking you with him as he placed his head on his pillow, pulling the duvet over your bodies and enveloping you both in a cocoon of warmth entirely too hot for mid-June.

“It was actually when I was in the hospital the other day. The hormones changes from the pregnancy made me faint, but it wasn’t until the bloodwork came back that I found out.” He nodded, rolling you onto your side to look at you easier. His hand came up to the joint of your hip, rubbing back and forth as he listened intently.

“What was your reaction?”

“I didn’t really have one until I saw you walk in to pick me up.”

His brows quirked up at that, mouth curling into a smug smile, “That’s pretty romantic.”

You rolled your eyes, “You were fine with this,” you motioned between you both, “until you looked at me, and then you also cried – twice – so you can’t even think about–”

He silenced you with a sweet kiss, scruff tickling your chin, “I love you so much.”

“I know.”

He rolled his eyes, “Can the fainting thing happen again, or was it just a one time thing?”

You shrugged, as much as you could given the close quarters you were both in, “Guess we’ll have to ask them tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

“The ‘follow-up appointment’ is actually a dating scan to see how far along we are.”

At this he breathed a laugh, “We have too much sex–”

“No such thing.” You denied, shaking your head vehemently, “It’s not my fault you look so gorgeous all the damn time–”

“Baby,” he groaned, it melting into a soft laugh, “you should look in the fucking mirror–”

“This flirting is exactly why we’re in this situation in the first place.”

“I can’t help it though.”

You briefly turned around, fingers finding your phone by the side of your bed, “You’re gonna have to because you need to call Kacey and tell her you blubbered like a fucking baby–”

“Hey–”

“She wanted to put $20 on it–”

“You bet on me crying?”

“No, she wanted to but…” you winced, “I agreed, so.”

“You’re supposed to side with me–”

“I’m making you a Dad, just remember that.”

He blinked, pursing his lips to prevent himself from laughing at your deadpan tone. You were both joking, but at your last comment, a silence seemed to stretch between you, both of you really absorbing the truth to your words.

Tyson’s eyes seemed to soften, looking at you like a man most definitely in love, and he made a noise that seemed to come from the back of his throat, “We’re gonna be parents.” He grinned, almost wistfully, “I…”

“I know.” You passed him the phone, Kacey’s contact already lined up for him, “It doesn’t feel real.”

He shook his head, kissing you once more and taking the phone out of your hand.

It barely took five seconds before Kacey’s excited voice burst through the phone.

#tyson jost x reader #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost oneshot #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine

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divinelolita · 2 years ago

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Hey omg ive been reading your storys and i cant stop ther all so good omg anyway can you make a fic with male reader x tom and bill. Basically we are bill and toms celebrity crush evry scene they were little like 2005 and like in 2006/2007

And like we reach out to them and ask if they wanna make a collaboration (like a song together) and every one from tokio hotel is excited to be working with us but tom and bill are like freaking out wean they see us infrot of them

KAULITZ TWINS X MALE READER

hii bae! I loved this request <3 I went off track near the end so pls forgive me 😋

For as long as Tom and Bill could remember, they had always liked M/N. I mean, who wouldn't? He was funny, handsome, and kind. At first they thought it was just admiration, but they found out that they had a true crush on this celebrity. The twins found this a bit strange though, as they almost never liked the same person at the same time. The two of them just couldn't stop loving M/N though, as much as they tried to.

Georg and Gustav would sometimes tease the brothers about this, though. And today just so happend to be one of those days.

"Seriously though, who's gonna walk down the isle with the dress?" Georg teased as he tossed a cracker into his mouth, Gustav giggling beside him. Bill just rolled his eyes and ignored the two as he sipped his coke. "Bill definitely has the legs for it." Gustav muttered, making Tom snort and Bill throw his can of soda at the blonde. Gustav yelped, flinching as the can missed him by a centimeter. "Oh,fuck you!" Bill sneered, although his cheeks flushed red.

The tour bus door opened as Jost walked it. Everybody quickly fixed their posture and stopped goofing off, although they felt less tense as they saw Jost smile. "Well kids," he began, making Georg scoff before clearing his throat as Tom shot him a piercing look. Hey it wasn't his fault- Georg was 19, he wasn't a kid anymore! "Good news. We have just recently gotten a collaboration request from somebody. I'm sure you guys will be excited when-" Jost was cut off by Tom, who excitedly exclaimed "Avril?!". Gustav chortled quietly, his smiling dropping as quick as it appeared when he received a stern look from Jost. Bill gave a little smile to Jost, excited to see who he would make music with.

"... No. I was going to say the collab was 'gonna be with M/N." The twins smiles fell quickly, a look of disbelief and excited in their eyes. "I...M/N? Like.. M/N L/N?" Bill coughed. All it took was a nod from Jost and the tour bus went wild. Georg whooped out loud, Gustav started to laugh, and the twins talked non stop. "Really?!" "We're gonna work with M/N?" "AHHHHHHH I CAN'T WAIT!" Bill and Tom squealed like little girls seeing puppies. Jost shushed them, the tour bus going silent apart from the little giggles from all members.

"Hush, you sound like toddlers." Jost scolded, but he was smiling brightly himself. "But yes, we will be working with him." Georg quirked an eyebrow, looking at Jost expectantly. "Is he coming to our studio or..?" he questioned, glancing at Gustav to see if he knew. "Don't look at me you dumbass." Gustav muttered, rolling his eyes. "Yes. He should be at our studio.. in two days." When Jost said that Tom let out a small gasp. "T-two days? Really?"

"Mmmhhmm." Jost concluded. "Now, M/N wanted to see if you guys wanted to......"

-TWO DAYS LATER 😱😱-

Bil groaned as he looked in the mirror. Although he wasnt going out to brunch or photoshoots he had still did his makeup, yet he was too lazy to do his hair so it layed over his shoulders. Tom came in behind him, pushing him lightly to the side so he could get his toothbrush to brush his teeth. "Tom.. Are you nervous?" Bill asked, sitting on the closed toilet seat. Tom took a second before responding, brushing his teeth fast before he spat into the sink, washing out his mouth.

"I'm always nervous before studio days, Billy. " He responded, going to wash his face with the soap. Bill groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. "Nooo Tom.. I meant about M/N being here." Bill pouted, elbows resting on his kneecaps as he rested his chin upon his hands. Tom shrugged, leaning against the wall. "Ehhh I guess so. But I'm not too worried, you?" Tom asked, adjusting his baggy shirt. Bill bit his lip," Aggh, I don't know! I think I am but I just-" Bill began, but he was cut off as Gustav banged on the door. " Hurry the fuck up I gotta piss dude! ". Tom giggled as he opened the door, letting Bill out before himself. He gave his little brother a small smile. "C'mon, Bill. Don't worry about it. Everything will be okay." Bill softly smiled back. "Yeah.. Yeah." Bill nodded, "I'm okay."

-at the studio-

Bill paced back and forth, humming Monsoon under his breath. Georg was adjusting his bass as Gustav played a few beats on his drums. Tom has his headphones plugged into his phone, listening to God knows what. It was mostly silent until they heard a few knocks on the door, Jost going to open it with a smile on his face. When he opened it, it was indeed M/N in all his glory. He smiled at Jost before smiling at all the band members, putting his coat on the cost rack in the corner. Georg smiled and introduced himself, going to shake M/N's hand as Gustav greeted him. Bill felt his legs to wobbly and Tom felt like he didn't have any more air in him.

Bill had paused his pacing next to Tom, as Tom grabbed onto Bills elbow lightly. Bill smiled at Tom, excitement pulsing in his veins. He didn't even realise M/N was behind him. "Hey, Bill and Tom! What's up?" he greeted politely, holding out his hand. Bill turned around, his face red. He started at M/N for a second before he put a smile on his face and shook M/N's hand, his hand feeling limp as M/N held a firm grip. "Ah! It's so nice to finally meet you." Bill said with what he hoped was confidence. The (color) haired boy then turned to Tom and held his hand out, Tom gulping before taking it and smiling up at him." Hey, M/N..!" he greeted, his tounge playing with his lip ring. He shuddered slightly when M/N winked at him before retracting his hand.

When they all decided it was time to discuss ideas, the G's came over and sat to the right of Tom. M/N took a seat between the twins, making them both blush and get flustered. M/N began to speak. "Ah okay, well I was thinking about doing this because....."

(you can like make up a song the made cuz I'm not writing allat 🙏🙏😍)

"Wow.." Tom said as M/N came to a conclusion. He really did like M/N's ideas as did the rest of the band. Gustav and Georg had even added a few of their ideas, which went with the theme of the song perfectly. M/N began to speak about different intros they could start with, but Bill lost track as M/N's hand brushed against his own. He felt like he had been electrocuted but..in a good way? He wanted it to happen again and again. He felt himself shuffle slightly closer to M/N, trying to disguise it under wanted to hear M/N more clearly. He nearly died when M/N smirked at him and asked his own opinion about the song.

"I uh.. I think it sounds great so far! Really, it's perfect." Bill babbled, feeling himself grow more red. The two G's giggled under their breath. "I'm glad you think so!" M/N smiled at him.

When everybody got set up, they began the rough draft. It actually turned out good, but redoing the song 3 times in a row definitely burned it into Tom's mind. Tom groaned after the 4th time, cracking his neck as he rubbed it. "Awhh, fuck man. My neck is killing me." Georg rolled his eyes, knowing that he too was bent over his guitar and he didn't feel any pain. M/N glanced over at Tom, laughing softly to himself as he reached over and began to dig into his shoulders and neck. Even though it would have hurt Tom normally, he felt himself lean into the touch as he flushed pink.

He forced himself to hold back a small whimper when M/N hit a particularly sensitive spot, biting his bottom lip preventing himself from making noise. He blushed harder as he heard M/N chuckle as he looked at the dreadhead.

-Later in the break room-

They all sat on couches in the break room, Bill smoking a cig as he was seated next to M/N, Tom on Bills left. The G's sat infront of them, holding back laughs as he saw how jittery the twins were. Georg finished his water, going to get up to throw it out and get another. Gustav followed, giggling as he whispered something to Georg that made him snort and nearly choke on his own spit.

So it was just the twins and M/N, yay! Bill continued smoking his cigarette as he leaned onchis brother, Tom humming the best of their new song lowly as he shook his leg. M/N looked between the two of them, smirking slightly. "So.. Y'all trying to grab lunch?" M/N asked, looking at the two of them. He noted how they both went flushed and hesitated before agreeing "Yeah!"they said in union, smiling softly at the celebrity.

They landed at some Italian restaurant, ordering a pizza. (if u don't like pizza sorry 😴) M/N took a bitevas he realised that the twins would glance at him every few seconds, taking bites of their own food. "Mmhh? Is there something on my face..?" M/N jokingly said, holding back a giggle as he watched how surprised and flustered the boys looked. The two apologized as they blushed, looking down at their food. "Y'know, you guys are pretty bad at masking your feelings."

Tom nearly spat out his water as Bill looked at M/N with a scared expression. "I-..what do you mean?" Bill started as he stuttered, Tom being quiet trying to recover from choking. M/N shrugged, taking a sip of his water. "I mean, I can tell you guys like me." M/N nearly laughed as he watched Tom's jaw drop and Bill blink rapidly. He spoke again before the twins could get a chance. "Really though, I don't care. You guys are cute anyways." He continued, taking another bite of his pizza as he grabbed another slice "Cute?" Tom repeated, smiling slightly.

M/N chuckled to himself "Ehhh.. Ive liked you guys since.. He looked up as he pondered." 2006..?" ( it can be like 2007-2008 👍) Bill cocked his head to the side "You've liked us.. Both?" he muttered, feeling his palms get sweaty. "Yeah. I mean, who wouldn't?" It was really shocking Tom that M/N could speak like this with confidence, not being nervous about his feelings. "So... Now what?" Tom asked, spinning his ring on his finger. M/N raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Hmm, I dunno. I mean, you like me and I like you both.." Bills mouth opened and closed a few times before speaking.

"Do you have to like,.. Pick?" He began, looking worried as he glanced at Tom. "I don't care if you and Tom date." Tom shook his head, about to say that M/N and Bill could date, before M/N spoke with a calm and easy tone. "It's easy. I date you both." Tom blinked s few times as Bill looked at M/N with curiosity. "... You can do that..?" he asked silently, biting his lip. Tom followed up, "What about like..jealously and that shit?"

M/N smiled softly at both of them, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "I mean obviously we'd talk about boundaries and jealously and communication." Bill nodded slightly, looking over at Tom. "I'm okay if your okay with it." Bill said, patting Tom's shoulder gently. Tom seemed to think about it for a few more seconds before he glanced at his brother and then at you, smiling. "I'm fine with it."

"How much you wanna bet Bill will go down the isle in the dress?" They heard muttered behind them. Bills face scrunched as he turned, revealing the G's giggling.

#tokio hotel x reader #tokio hotel x male reader #tokio hotel x you #bill kaulitz #bill kaulitz x male reader #bill kaulitz x reader #bill kaulitz x you #tom kaulitz #tom kaulitz x male reader #tom kaulitz x reader #tom kaulitz x y/n #tom kaulitz x you #tokio hotel

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green-cyber · 10 months ago

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Paralyze me [Joost💙x Käärijä💚mini fic, but it’s sleep paralysis, mild NSFW] - Part I

2:14 am, August 5th, 2020

Joost felt it right away. The icy grip on his ankle. His body suddenly unable to move. He screamed, deafening silence hitting his senses in response. And all he heard was a hiss. He didn’t see it. The hand that violently grabbed his throat, fingers squeezing deliberately. Strong. He knew this one – a man in a dark grey suit and an old-fashioned hat. No eyes. No features. To be fair, he knew all of his torturers, and this one freaked the sh*t out of him the most.

[…this is not real… this is not real.. this is…]

On his back. Eyes wide open. He couldn’t even close them. Joost felt hot tears dripping down his cheeks. He knew how this would end. Till his last breath. The demonic laughter. Till his neck snaps.

[stop… please stop…]

He’s been through this so many times. So much so that when he sensed a new presence, for a short second in there, curiosity took over his dread. The pressure on his neck loosened. His room suddenly embedded in a greenish mist. […smells so good…] something exotic. A mix of pineapple and...

In his altered state of mind, consciousness sluggish, Joost couldn’t really tell what was happening. The new demon growled. Sounded more like a command and Joost could breathe again. Did he?... did he just chase away the hat-man?.. the thought fluttered in his mind failing to make any sense and Joost tried to move only to hear a playful giggle. It wasn’t menacing. Not at all. Just a little…

Jost gasped when a soft small hand with pointy nails caressed his inner thigh. [Holy sh*t!!..] his face suddenly burning, heat pooling in his lower belly as the fingers worked their way up towards his… and… and… f*ck… if there had been any coherent thought in his fuzzy mind, it had definitely evaporated now. Still unable to move, Joost gasped for air. Now for a totally different reason. Warm fingers found their way inside his boxers and Joost whimpered, heart pounding in his throat. Desperate to move. Desperate to feel. This was so REAL. The demon chuckled. And he was sure the demon must have lost his focus for a second in there or something. ‘Cause otherwise why would Joost be able to lift his head just a tiny bit? That’s when he saw him. Sharp canines. Pointy ears. Small body. Spikes? Joost wasn’t sure. The demon instantly sensed him looking and the last thing Joost noticed were his eyes. Blue. And demonically gorgeous. He’s never seen anyone with eyes like that. The creature looked at him. Pissed now.

[Herää!!]

Joost jumped, suddenly wide awake. Bed drenched in sweat. His weird delusion quickly dissipating into nothing.

[F*ck… I’m so f*cking dumb…]

First time ever in his life Joost regretted waking up from his sleep paralysis. With a boner. An impressive one that needed to be taken care of. Like asap.

~End of Part I~

Author's note: I guess I've been infected, sigh. I have jeest now. Stay away or join in the fun😂

#käärijä #jere pöyhönen #joost klein #jeest infection #jeest #fanfic

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thebusylilbee · 8 months ago

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"Vers un bouleversement, mais à petits pas. L’Arcom, l’autorité de régulation de l’audiovisuel, a rendu publique le 18 juillet sa délibération concernant le respect du « pluralisme des courants de pensée et d’opinion ». Désormais, au lieu de contrôler seulement le temps de parole des responsables politiques à la radio et à la télé, afin de s’assurer que les divers courants politiques y ont droit à la parole de manière équitable, le gendarme de l’audiovisuel prendra en compte l’ensemble des participant·es aux programmes.

Objectif : lutter contre l’installation sur les antennes d’un déséquilibre « manifeste et durable » dérogeant aux principes du pluralisme politique, au sens large. Mais sans renouveler fondamentalement la manière dont l’Arcom opère. [...]

« Une évolution importante », qui était attendue depuis le 13 février dernier, date à laquelle le Conseil d’État, plus haute juridiction administrative, a demandé à l’Arcom de mieux veiller au respect du pluralisme par les médias qu’il contrôle en général, et par CNews en particulier.

Saisi par Reporters sans frontières (RSF) en 2021, qui lui demandait de mettre en demeure la chaîne d’information de Vincent Bolloré pour manquement à ses obligations relatives à l’honnêteté, à l’indépendance et au pluralisme de l’information, le gendarme de l’audiovisuel avait refusé. Début 2023, Roch-Olivier Maistre [président de l'ARCOM] avait même assuré que « CNews respecte strictement le pluralisme politique ».

Le Conseil d’État, pas franchement du même avis, avait donné raison sur presque toute la ligne à RSF, estimant pour la première fois que le respect du pluralisme devait tenir compte de « l’ensemble des participants aux programmes diffusés, y compris les chroniqueurs, animateurs et invités ». À charge pour l’Arcom de trouver, dans les six mois suivant la décision, le moyen de s’assurer du contrôle de cette obligation renforcée. [...]

Roch-Olivier Maistre et ses troupes traqueront désormais, a-t-il indiqué, le « déséquilibre évident ou, pour employer une expression à la mode, systémique, structurel, qui saute aux yeux ». Pour retenir leur attention, il faudra que ce déséquilibre soit aussi durable : il sera scruté sur une durée de trois mois pour les chaînes et radios classiques, et sur un mois pour les chaînes d’info en continu.

Pour se faire son avis, le régulateur s’appuiera sur « un faisceau d’indices » : la diversité des intervenant·es sur les plateaux, la diversité des thématiques faisant l’objet d’émissions, et la pluralité des points de vue exprimés sur chaque thème. « Est-ce qu’on est monocolore, monothématique, mono-intervenant ? », a traduit Roch-Olivier Maistre. [...]

Comme aujourd’hui, le gendarme de l’audiovisuel attendra la plupart du temps d’être saisi par des signalements pour se pencher sur un cas. Son attention se portera principalement sur les émissions d’information et « sur les programmes qui concourent à l’information », comme les débats et autres tablées d’éditorialistes, mais aussi les émissions d’infotainment.

Pas de grande surprise

[...] À vrai dire, on ne voit que les médias de Bolloré pour être gênés par les changements annoncés. Le recours de 2021 de RSF s’appuyait en particulier sur une étude de François Jost, sémiologue et professeur émérite à l’université Sorbonne-Nouvelle, qui avait démontré qu’en une semaine sur CNews, « les invités de droite et d’extrême droite [représentaient] plus des trois quarts des présences en plateau (78 %) ».

Précisément, sur le papier, la chaîne ne franchissait pas la ligne parce que, parmi les fers de lance de l’ultraconservatisme qu’elle promouvait, les journalistes étaient plus nombreux que les représentant·es de parti, et échappaient donc aux décomptes. L’Arcom va bientôt répondre une seconde fois à RSF, sur la base du nouveau cadre qu’elle vient de fixer.

La chaîne d’info a donc du souci à se faire. Tout comme sa petite sœur C8, théâtre des outrances de Cyril Hanouna, de plus en plus droitières au fil des mois, et Europe 1, la radio absorbée en 2020 par Vincent Bolloré, et qui n’a désormais plus rien à envier aux autres médias du groupe en termes de tonalité.

Rappelons que dès l’annonce de la dissolution par Emmanuel Macron, Sophie Davant a été éjectée d’Europe 1 pour faire de la place à Cyril Hanouna, qui a, trois semaines durant dans sa quotidienne d’une heure trente, fustigé l’alliance des partis de gauche et déroulé le tapis rouge aux candidat·es d’extrême droite.

[...]

À elles deux, C8 et CNews ont essuyé depuis 2012 plus de 45 sanctions de l’Arcom et de son ancêtre le CSA, pour un total de 7,5 millions d’euros d’amende (dont plus de 7 millions pour C8). Sans effet aucun sur leur manière de traiter l’actualité et de favoriser les thèmes et les prises de position chères à l’extrême droite.

Et jamais l’Arcom n’est allée jusqu’à prononcer les sanctions les plus sévères que lui autorise la loi, comme la suspension d’une émission ou, en dernier recours, le retrait de l’autorisation d’émettre à la chaîne dans son ensemble.

Avant la fin juillet, l’Arcom devra néanmoins faire un choix décisif, en réattribuant ou non à Bolloré les fréquences des ses deux chaînes controversées. L’autorité doit en effet trancher sur le renouvellement de l’attribution des fréquences des quinze chaînes de la TNT. Les auditions dans ce cadre, qui se sont achevées le 17 juillet, n’ont pas montré que les lieutenants de Bolloré avaient l’intention de changer quoi que ce soit à leurs méthodes.

Quelle que soit sa décision, l’Arcom a d’ores et déjà du pain sur la planche pour appliquer les nouvelles règles, car elles s’appliquent rétroactivement à compter du 13 février dernier, date à laquelle le Conseil d’État a rendu sa décision. Nul doute que l’autorité de régulation aura matière à se pencher de nouveau régulièrement sur les outrances des médias Bolloré.

Roch-Olivier Maistre a indiqué avoir déjà été saisi de plusieurs signalements sur le respect du pluralisme des opinions. « Le régulateur sera très attentif sur ce sujet, qui est central pour notre vitalité démocratique », a-t-il promis."

#PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE BOLLORE CRÈVE #france #upthebaguette #whatthefrance #french #en français #french side of tumblr #bolloré #cnews #c8 #bee tries to talk

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onlyherefortyson · 6 months ago

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brb moving to Raleigh❤️

#tyson jost #josty #tj17 #canes hockey #carolina hurricanes #look at that curl on his forehead!#t. jost

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shutth3puckup · 2 years ago

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about tyson jost! i know you said he has a particular look he goes for but i swore i’ve seen that he was out with someone who was mid sized/plus sized??? or am i going insane :,)

Oh, that would be amazing if he was!

Does anyone have details on this? Do you know when you saw this - I can dive into it but a rough timeline would help so I don't go too far back!

#hockey gossip #t. jost

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tonyspep · 1 year ago

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~*~viva las avs~*~

A/N: litterally every hockey rpf idea that pops into my head i share with my wonderful bestie bre aka @fallinallincurls, and this is no exception. i sent it to her months ago, and here i am finally getting around to posting it, lol. basically tyson jost was never traded from the avs and is engaged to jesse compher, jt's youngest sister and nate is dating his younger sister morgan while jt is dating kacey jost, tyson's younger sister. they are all in vegas for jesse's bachelorette party and of course i wouldn't be me if ej wasn't included in this fic, too. his love interest is modeled after the actress connie britton from the shows friday night lights and nashville.

~*~bright light city gonna set my soul~*~

(gonna set my soul on fire)

parings: tyson jost and jesse compher, nathan mackinnon and morgan compher, jt compher and kacey jost and erik johnson/oc

summary: jesse, morgan and kacey are in vegas for jesse's bachlorette party and after ej's string of smart ass comments, nate along with jt and tyson end up in vegas, too and what happens after is anyone's guess

rating: t

oh, there's black jack, poker and roulette wheel

a fortune won and lost on ev'ry deal

all you need's a strong heart and nerves of steel

viva las vegas, viva las vegas

“viva las vegas” - the bruce springsteen version

Nate was determined not to let EJ win.

If there was one thing the older man had been able to do since they met, it was being able to get under Nate's skin. Even when they were separated by a few hundred miles with it being the middle of the off season and Nate was back in Cole Harbour and EJ was in his sprawling Hollywood Hills home.

His jaw ticked as he saw another comment from @bighorny under Morgan's latest post.

@stayincomphy more like stayin' hot hot hot

And of course he tagged him in it, telling him to keep an eye on his girl.

Morgan was in Vegas celebrating Jesse's bachelorette party. This last Christmas the Comphers had rented a cabin in Vermont for the holiday and of course Tyson, Laura and Kacey had been invited along with Nate and his parents and his sister Sarah and her husband, and not even a day into the trip, Tyson got down on one knee and asked Jesse to marry him.

Sometimes Nate still feels like his ears haven't recovered from Morgan and Kacey's squeals and shrieks as they practically tackled the youngest Compher once Tyson had slid the ring on her finger.

He knows EJ is doing this to get a rise out of him, which is his favorite thing to do that doesn't involve horses or wine, but this time it's not going to work.

Morgan would never do anything and he's stupid for even thinking it.

Josty was completely chill about Jesse having her bachelorette there and JT told Kacey to have fun, which is what he told Morgan to do too. Though he did make sure his favorite white bikini stayed behind. No one was allowed to see her wear that but him.

Seeing her laying on a lounger chair at the Aria's pool, classic blue and white striped one piece with cut outs on the sides made him close the app. If he kept looking, he'd miss her more than he already did and she'd barely been gone two days. He needed to take his mind off of all this. Just as he was about to grab Cox's leash, his phone pinged and of course it was a text from EJ.

[horseboy] you dogg you can't seriously be sitting at home in bumfuck canada while your girl's living it up in lost wages for shame nathaniel for shame

[dogg] fuck you johnson. you're just trying to get a rise out of me and it's not going to work this time. go pet a horse or stomp grapes or clean your dentures old man

[horseboy] me? try to get a rise out of you? Impossible

[dogg] i'm taking cox for a run and shutting off my phone. you'll be talking to the ether or whatever

[horseboy] the dogg doth bark too much as the saying goes. give the man of the house some head pats and ear scratches from his favorite hooman would ya? you have fun trying not to think about your girl living it up and looking so good doing it

Taking Cox for runs is how Nate always cleared his head when things were waying on his mind. When Morgan was with him they would meditate or do yoga, which always ended with him grabbing her when she got into more advanced poses and they would become a tangle of various limbs, laughing as he practically smothered her with his bigger frame.

He swore he wouldn't let EJ win, but as he increased his speed while running, he knew he was defeating the purpose of clearing his head, but all he could think about was Morgan in Vegas. Suddenly, he was back home and he was booking a flight. Logically he knew Morgan loved him and would never stray and he tried to think about all the things that sucked about Vegas like the fucking Golden Knights, their stupid castle in their arena, their dumb goal song, glow in the dark jerseys, the sun and how he had to wear SPF30 or he'd turn into a lobster, hangovers and gambling but none of it worked.

All he could think about was how none of the losers who were hanging out at the hotel pool and in the casino would see Morgan with Jesse and Kacey and not know she was taken. Jesse had the cute diamond Josty bought last year and was wearing that bright pink sash that said Bachelorette and a little crown in every post she made.

Guys weren't exactly known for taking no for an answer, but if he was there they wouldn't have a choice.

Of course he booked tickets for Josty and JT, too. He couldn't exactly show up alone. That was creepy.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tyson knew he wasn't supposed to tell Jesse. Nate made that explicitly clear and yeah Nate outweighed him by like forty to fifty pounds and was taller than him, too and was generally scary when he wanted to be, but Nate wasn't scarier than Jesse.

Also, how were they supposed to start their married life together if he was kind of lying to her when they were engaged? Wasn't that bad luck or something? Whether it was or not, he wasn't going to risk it, so he sent her a quick text about Nate buying him and JT tickets to Vegas and how they would be there around six local time.

Jesse texted him a teasing taunt that said does this mean i get to crash your bachelor party? i've always wanted to go to a strip club

Tyson flushed just thinking about it. While Landy's bachelor party had gone completely off the rails, somehow, they had not ended up at a strip club and the truth was he didn't really want to go to one for his, but maybe...

“Earth to Josty. Come in Josty.” Suddenly JT's hadn was right in front of his face and he remembered where he was. O'Hare airport waiting with JT for Nate's flight from Dartmouth to land, os they could board the flight for Vegas together.

“You told Jesse, huh?” There was a knowing smile on his best friend's face. “Duh,” Tyson's tone was unapologetic. “It's bad luck to lie before you get married. It's like breaking a mirror or walking under a ladder or whatever. I'm not risking it.”

“That's such bullshit,” JT laughs, shaking his head. “You figured as soon as she saw us, she'd kick your ass eve if this was all Nate's idea. You are so whipped, man.”

“Don't call me whipped. You're just as whipped!” Tyson insists. “You told Kacey we were coming, too!”

“Because we have an open line of communication like adults. I wasn't afraid she'd kick my ass if I didn't tell her. It's a whole different thing than what happened with you and Jesse.”

“Okay, that is bullshit. An open line of communication? You communicate through memes! I've seen your text thread! Like, adults, too, really Coms? You drink out of Kacey's old Buzz Lightyear glass hwen you stay over at my Mom's and both of you drink milk straight from the carton. If anyone's the adult, it's me! I'm getting married! I'm one step away from a joint bank account and dividing my portfolio or whatever Landy talks about!”

“I can't take the two of you anywhere,” Nate sighs, piniching the bridge of his nose when he finds JT and Tyson shoving at each other and laughing after he picked up his bags. “He started it!” They said at the same time only making themselves laugh harder than they were already.

“I should've brought Landy to keep the two of you in line.” Nate grumbled as they made their way toward the gate.

“Good afternoon everyone,” A beautiful strawberry blonde in the standard flight attendant unifrom is standing at the front of the plane. Her eyes are a warm shade of glittering hazel and her smile is blinding but genuine. “My name is Kylie and I'll be your head flight attendant on our flight from beautiful Chicago, Illinois to exciting Las Vegas, Nevada. Please be seated while I perform the in-flight demonstration and we'll begin serving drinks and food once we take off in about twenty minutes.”

Before the call to switch to airplane mode comes over the speakers, Nate sees a text from Morgan come through.

[Red] you have some explaining to do, nate

The disappointment behind her text is obvious and Nate knows he can't blame JT and Tyson for this, but it doesn't stop him from glaring at his friends and saying, “You two really couldn't keep your mouths shut?”

JT's not about to fight with one of his Alternates but Nate is also the guy who's dating his younger sister, and right now he isn't one of his Alternates, he's the guy who's dating his sister.

“This was your idea,” He reminds him, keeping his voice cool. “We're,” He points to himself and Tyson. “On this plane because EJ got under your skin. Don't forget that, Nate. If Morgan's mad or disappointed, you have to deal with that. Don't take it out on me and Tys.”

Nate knows JT is right. He can feel the tips of his ears go red from being sheepish. He should be better than this.

“Sorry, man. You're right.” He admits and JT nods. “Of course I am.” He says smugly and Nate rolls his eyes, pulling out his eye mask from his carry on bag. He pays for the in-flight WI-Fi and turns on the meditation app Morgan found for him and he lets his mind and body relax before they land.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

With everyone settled and the food and drinks taken care of, Kylie is in the galley laughing at the younger flight attendants giggling over their phones. She checks her messages, breathing the familiar sigh of relief when she finds texts from her son and daughter. Marcus was a sophomore at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville on a lacrosse scholarship while Bethany was taking a gap year and backpacking through Europe with her two best friends. Next year she was going to UC Irvine to study astronomy.

She couldn't help but think her babies had grown up too dam fast.

Being a single mom hadn't been easy, but the three of them had made it through after her marriage with their dad had fallen a part.

“Oh my God Kylie,” Julie was twenty two and pettie with dark black hair and stunning green eyes. “The rich guy in first class was totally checking you out.”

“The silver fox?” Brandy, who had golden blonde hair and had recenlty gotten married was twenty seven as of last May, was the other flight attendant with them and her curiosity was piqued. Julie nodded eagerly, practically licking her lips while Kylie laughed and said, “Settle down now. We're not doing that. This is my job. I'm here to work. Not hook up or whatever you kids call it these days.”

“Is it because you finally gave your number to that super hot hockey player who's always flirting with you?” Julie's tone was hopeful. “The one who doesn't have his three front teeth? And is, like, ginormous? He's got the pretty blue eyes and the dimples, too, right?” Brandy questions. “Yes,” Julie practically gushes, clutching her chest as she swoons while Kylie sighs as she shakes her head.

“You two need to stop it. He is way too young for me. Now get back out there with your carts. We're on the clock and we are not being paid to gossip about something that is never going to happen.”

Erik Johnson, the ginormous hockey player with the pretty blue eyes and missing three fron teeth, was a frequent flier on this specific airline when he wasn't traveling professionally with the Avalanche. He was everything Brandy described and so much more. From the boyish flop of his unstyled blonde hair ot the ever present mischievous glint in his cornflower blue eyes to the way every shirt – button down, polo, sweater (if there was a chill) or t-shirt – stretched snugly over his obviously very firm chest to his flirtatious nature, he was hard to resist.

But Kylie had two college age children and he was in his thirties. Also, given their careers they would hardly ever be in the same place.

Not to mention his teammates could pass for any of Marcus's friends and she did not want to think about team events and games where she would be surrounded by women who were barely older than her own daughter.

Looking never hurt and it was hard not to enjoy the flirting. It was nice to know a man like Erik found her attractive.

Laughing to herself, Kylie put on an easy smile as she went back out to the cabin to see if the passengers needed anything.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

In California, EJ couldn't help but think of a certain gorgeous strawberry blonde flight attendant.

At first he thought Kylie's apprehension had to do with the missing teeth. Even though plenty of women told him they thought he looked better without his fakes, some were unsettled at first.

Especially if they didn't know he played hockey.

But he learned quickly it had more to do with his age. Being one of the older players on the team he never gave his age much thought when it came to dating. He generally wouldn't date a woman who was in her early twenties, but dating someone older had never crossed his mind until he met Kylie on a flight to Del Mar race track in Pasenda a year and a half ago. And honestly he didn't see anything wrong with dating a woman in her forties.

He knew she was at least 45 or 46, but that didn't really mean anything. Age was just a number after all.

Laying out by his pool surrounded by his pack, the affectionate name he gave his four dogs, he couldn't stop his mind from staying on Kylie.

It had been a long time since he had spent so much time thinking of just one woman. He wasn't ashamed of his bachelor status. There wasn't much he was ashamed of, really. The whole shebang of a wife, kids and a white pickett fence wasn't where he wanted to be. He liked living his life; going to Del Mar on a whim, maybe Hawaii, slipping his number to a pretty girl at a bar etc.

Fucking Landy he curses to himself.

The “don't you get lonely” talk was coming on stronger and stronger from his best friend. While EJ took pleasure in getting under Nate's skin (it was just too easy), Gabe was a whole different animal. He would get all concerned and go into full helpful Disney Prince mode with those big stupid crystal blue eyes of his and his big ass forehead would wrinkle in a way that was, somehow, still handsome and EJ hated it because it always worked and next thing he knew, he was spilling his guts.

As he began to scroll through Instagram, his phone pinged. Julie was a flight attendant Kylie always worked with. Way too young for him but pretty in an objective way and she was funny, too. They would text back and forth and if he ended up on a flight it was quite the coincidence.

Apparently she, Brandy and Kylie were laying over in Vegas before flying to Denver. He didn't need to be back in Denver for a few more weeks to start seriously training buuuuuuut Kylie didn't need to know that.

And Vegas was nice this time of year.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

How the girls were drunk already Nate didn't know.

They squealed when they saw them in the lobby at Aria and smelled pretty like they always did but the alcohol was still obvious.

If Morgan wasn't drunk she wouldn't have launched herself at him and started kissing him everywhere. She would've been mad, which is what he expected. Steadying her in his arms, she hiccuped and said, sincerely, “I missed you, Natey. You shouldn't be here, but I'm so happy you are.”

Nate couldn't stop himself from smiling. He had seen Morgan this drunk once. At the Dustin Lynch concert they all went to after winning The Cup last year. She was very clingy, basically, plastered to his back the entire night, her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped around his waist. Her freckles, somehow, stood out more like the copper and gold of her hazel eyes and her skin was flushed the warmest shade of pink and she couldn't stop laughing.

He loved everything about her, but seeing her like this was so rare he belived he liked this Morgan best of all. Then she'd go and something else and that Morgan would become his favorite and so on and so on.

“I missed you, too,” He finally said and she beams back at him and he wonders how he lived so long without her.

“Ugh,” JT groans bringing Nate back into the scene and there's Tyson and Jesse kissing like he just got back from war. Kacey laughs from inside JT's arms that are wrapped around her slim frame and teases her boyfriend, saying, “What, you don't like watching Tys try to see if his tongue can find Jesse's tonsils?”

“I need a drink,” The eldest Compher sighs with a resigning shake of his head. That breaks Tyson and Jesse apart and she giggles, “More drinks! Yes! Tha's what we need! You're so smart Joey!”

More drinks is defintely not what they need but Nate knows stopping them is pointless.

After checking into the suite the girls rented, they're piling out of Aria's front doors and onto Las Vegas Boulevard and none of them have a clue what the hot, sticky Vegas summer night will bring.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Layovers weren't something Kylie looked forward to. Though it was nice to not have to jump back onto another flight after only an hour or so after the passengers had departed and the plane was cleaned.

She let Julie and Brandy run off to cruise The Strip. They were responisble enough not to get into too much trouble with Brandy being married now, but oh to be young again she thought with a wry smile as he let herself indulge in a glass of crisp Pinot Grigio.

As she sipped at the wonderful taste of her favorite wine, an all too familiar voice reached her ears amongst the sounds of the dealers, slots and music thumping through the casino's speakers.

“Now, what's a pretty lady like yourself doing in a place like this all by your lonesome?”

A shiver only Erik could inspire races up her spine and Kylie's breath catches at the sight of the handsome, bulit hockey player. His hair's soft, falling just so across his forehead, those cornflower blue eyes twinkle with mischief and the promise of a good time. His dimples make her knees weak and if she wasn't sitting the sight of his unbuttoned pink linen shirt would have had them buckling underneath her. The sleeves are rolled up, of course, to reveal the tan skin of his thick vein covered forearms. His cologne is crisp and woodsy, a deep warm smell that makes her want to bury her face in his neck to breathe it in even deeper.

Taking another sip of her wine, she can't help the smile that crosses her lips. “You just happened to be in the neighborhood or something?”

Erik's eyes move shamelessly over her figure, leaving nothing but heat in their wake and Kylie is going to need something stronger than white wine if she's going to keep him at arm's length like she should.

He leans in, his lips hovering just above her ear, his breath warm as he says, his voice low and husky, making heat pool in her belly, “Something like that.”

“Erik...” She sighs, shaking her head, but there's a fondness in her tone, sparking hope for the Minnesotan. “I'm not getting down on one knee,” Erik laughs covering her her slender hand with his larger one. “A drink is hardly a proposal.”

“You flew all the way to Vegas from your house in California because Julie told you we had a layover here. I am a divorced mother of two grown children. One is in college and the other will be starting college next year. I do not have time for games.”

“That's fine because who said I was playing games? A flight from LA to Vegas is nothing. It's barely two hours. One drink and one dance won't hurt.”

The thought of feeling Erik's hard body pressed against her, his strong hands holding her hips as they swayed is almost too much to bear. He's far too good to be true. A handsome thirty something athlete interested in her, making her feel things she hasn't felt in so long, having the walls she built up starting to crumble, she almost doesn't know what to do.

Eyeing him critcally, Kylie huffs and holds up her index finger. “One dance and one drink, and that's it. Don't try to charm your way into antoher drink and another dance. It won't work.”

“We'll see.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

i know your motives and you know mine

the ones that love me, i tend to leave behind

if you know about me and choose to stay

then take this pleasure and take it with the pain

“love me harder” - by ariana grande and the weekend

Alcohol makes things increasingly clearer for Nate.

The three beers plus the copious amount of shots at Drais` in the Cosmo help confirm what he's known since he met Morgan, he can't live without her.

He thinks the DJ is playing that one song between Ariana Grande and The Weekend, but it's hard to be sure when all he's thinking about is Morgan.

She's pressed right up against him, moving her hips to the beat of the song and dancing has never been his forte, but she's always been able to pull him onto the floor without much protest from him. Even before they were together she could get him to dance.

He can feel her hips through the silk of the tiny slip dress she's wearing. It's burgundy and brings out the different shades of carmel and copper in her hazel eyes. One of the straps has fallen off her shoulder, the thin stripped is wrapped around her bicep and he can see the cluster of freckles he memorized after their first night together. Her red hair frames her face perfectly, her cheeks are flushed prettily from the alcohol and the dancing, her alabaster skin the color of a perfectly ripe peach now.

She stops grinding against him and he lets out a strangled groan, because, why??????

Then she drapes her arms around his neck, the chunky heels of her shoes bring her closer to his height and she rests her head on his shoulder and this he can do, sway and hold her close so he can smell the coconut of her shampoo and the peonies of her perfume.

She murmurs the lyrics to the song, “Cause if you want to keep me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, got to love me harder. And if you really need me, you gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta, go to love me harder.”

Sober nate would not do this. Sober Nate would be mortified. But Nate is not sober.

Nate has had three beers and who knows how many shots because the bartender saw Jesse's Bachelorette sash and crown thing and they wouldn't stop pouring Fireball? Jager? Crown? Nate can't honestly remember. What he does remember is hearing Morgan giggle and seeing her look at him, happy and dopey expression on her beautiful face as she draped herself all over him, which meant he was knocking back the shots as fast as he could.

So again, sober Nate would not do this, but Nate – to reiterate – was not sober.

“Morgan Marie Compher,” He says with all the conviction he can muster as they continue to sway. “I wanna marry you.”

“Natey...” Her voice is soft and hopeful as she touches his cheek. She bites her lip and Nate groans, it's so hot. “You really do?” She looks at him through her velvet lashes and he answers her. “Hell yeah, I really do.”

And that's how they find themselves her; The Little White Wedding Chapel.

Morgan squealed and launched herself at him, Nate somehow having retained enough of his quick reflexes to catch her slim frame. How they broke apart from their steamy makeout, their hands nearly tearing at their clothes, to find JT, Kacey, Jesse and Tyson they don't know.

They don't know how they got to The Little White Wedding Chapel, really. But they're there standing in front of an Elvis impersonator, JT and Tyson standing next to Nate and Jesse and Kacey next to Morgan.

“Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here to join...” Elvis begins and Jesse hiccups and slurs, “Waaaaaait, a second! Mo Mo doesn't have a veil. She needs a veil.”

“Uh-huh,” Kacey agrees nodding eagearly. “Pause,” She hiccups, making the sign for timeout. The girls run off to the bridal shop in the chapel, giggling and stumbling as they grab Morgan and pull her along with them. When they come back five minutes later, Nate's breath catches.

His heart skips a beat and he breathes out, “Wow,” sounding mesmerized as Morgan walks toward him again, this time a soft tulle veil covering her face. It's fastened to a sparkling tiara and even in her burgundy slip dress and chunky heels, an outfit made for clubbing, she looks like a princess.

To Morgan as she stands across from Nate in his tight ftting black polo and matching slacks while the silver Tag Huer watch she got him on his birthday last year gleams on his right wrist, he looks like Prince Charming to her. He looks like the man she's been waiting for her whole life.

Elvis starts again. “Dearly Beloved, we are gathered here to watch this hunk-a-hunk of burnin' love join this little mama in holy matrimony...”

“I do,” Nate murmurs, feeling more certain of this – being with Morgan forever – than he has about anything.

“With the power vested in me by the great state of Nevada, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Nate lifts Morgan's veil and kisses her with all the tenderness and love he ever has. JT and Tyson whistle while Kacey and Jesse yell, “Get it, girl!”

The six of them pour out of the chapel under a flurry of rice and rose petals, laughing and hollering as Nate and Morgan kiss again.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

but you're just so cool

run your hands through your hair

absent mindedly makin' me want you

and i don't know how it gets better than this

you take my hand and drag me head first

fearless

and i don't know why

but with you i'd dance in a storm

in my best dress

fearless

“fearless” - by taylor swift (taylor's version)

“I don't want to get married, Joseph,” Kacey says softly and JT blinks, his brain is workign overtime between all the shots and the beer and the champagne they all shared after Nate and Morgan's impromptu wedding. “Okay,” He manages, staring at his girlfriend curiously.

They're walking around Las Vegas Boulevard, not having a particular destination in mind and they let the others walk up ahead.

Kacey had caught him completely by surprise. He never expected to find himself falling for her while Tyson and Nate were falling for his sisters. One day she was Tyson's baby sister who teased and then suddenly she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

She was Jost, then she became Kacey and after that he was calling her Kace and then she had a drawer full of clothes at his place and he was calling her baby before he could blink.

Marriage was a long way away. She was finishing up her degree and he knew how important that was, that she graduate and have a job lined up before she moved to Denver. He admired that about her, how she knew what she wanted and wasn't afraid to go after it.

“I love you,” Her soft voice brings him back and he smiles down at her. “Me too, Kace,” He assures, brushing back a loose curl from her untamed tangle of curls he loves to run his fingers through. “Wanna show you how much I do, JT,” She murmurs into his chest.

He laughs and kisses the crown of her head and a neon sign catches his eye. He's just drunk enough to have the courage to do this. If he were sober, he wouldn't even think of doing this.

He tilts her chin upwards and bends, and they kiss softly, their tongues meeting and after breaking apart, he's pulling her toward the purple neon sighn that says Hart and Huntington Tattoo Company.

Kacey giggles as she unbuttons her tight pleather pants and the tattoo artist eyes her suspcioulsy as she lays down, revealing the skin of her slim hip. She's more or less tipsy now. It's been hours since the margirtas and the endless shots and the two swigs of champagne.

“I'm basically sober. Scout's honor.” Her Girl Guide's salute is clumsy and does not inspire confidence in the severe looking tatted up raven haired female tattoo artist. “I love him,” The young Canadian says, her soft tone radiating honesty and the older woman's blood red lips twitch.

In her green eyes, however, is understanding. “The letters JT with the number 37 hanging from the end of the J, yeah?”

Kacey knows the smile on her face is dreamy as she meets JT's familiar chocolate gaze across from hers and she answers, “Yes,”

While her hip is being tattooed, JT's tight fitting shirt has been discarded revealing his toned chest and six pack. Across his right pec her name and number for volleyball are being inked into his skin. He wrote her name down, so the tattoist could mimic his own handwriting and at the end of the “y” in her name he added, the number 10.

Most tattoo artists tried to talk couples out of doing stuff like this. Especially if they weren't married or they were far from sober. But the husband and wife who were tattooing the young couple that had stumbled in, had a feeling they were the real deal.

“That's forever, baby,” Jenny mused as her husband Ronnie wrapped his burly arm around wher waist as JT and Kacey left the shop, hand in hand, matching besotted smiles on their faces. “Fuck yeah it is,” Ronnie's gruff voice agreed.

i'm not usually this way but

you pull me in and i'm a little more free

it's the first kiss, i'ts falwless, it's really something, it's

fearless

oh, yeah

cause i don't know how it gets better than this

you take my hand and drag me head first

fearless

and i don't know why

but with you i'd dance in a storm

in my best dress

fearless

“fearless” by taylor swift (taylor's version)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

and i know that it must be the woman in you

that brings out the man in me

i know that i can't help myself

you're all that my eyes can see

“feels like the first time” - by foreigner

What in the world have I got myself into Kylie thinks as she and Erik sway to the familiar guitar and keyboards to the classic Foreigner song “Feels Like The First Time.” It may have been only one drink, but it's been several dances to several songs.

Her hips fit perfectly inside his large, broad plams and the crown of her strawberry blonde hair slides right under his chin. Her body fits against his like they're two pieces of a puzzle.

This is too much and she shouldn't dare, but before her rational side can take hold,; she lets him tilt her head toward his and lets his lips draw hers into a kiss.

It's been too long since she's felt like this; completely overwhelmed by someone.

Erik can't remember the last time he's wanted to kiss someone so badly. The chase had always been the best part of the song and dance. He had never really wanted to catch someone until Kylie. Not because she was resisting his advances, but because he wanted to have her in his life, to share more than just his bed for a night or two.

The need to breathe is a curse because all he wants to do is keep kissing her. Their tongues met softly and they break apart, her slender hand clutching at his linen shirt while his large hand is firmly gripping her right ass cheek, keeping her pressed against him as they catch their breath.

“This is so very bad,” Kylie laughs in disbelief.

There are so many reasons why. Number one is being how she's three years shy of being fifty and as she triest to back out of his grip, he tightens his hold. “No way,” His voice is low and deep, making her knees buckle. “You're not running away after kissing me like that,”

“Erik,” She pleads for him to understand this will never work or for him to convince her that it will, she's not sure what she wants more.

“Here's the problem,” Erik murmurs, his other hand tracing the slim curves of her left side before he brings that hand to cup her beautifully formed high cheekbone, so it's impossible to look away from him. “It's been so long since anyone's told you how beautiful you are, how funny. So long since anyone's wanted you, which is a damn shame,” Every velvet word makes Kylie shudder and through the silk of her blouse she can feel her nipples peaking and God he's going to be the death of her.

“Which means all you can think to do is run. Well, I'm telling you that you're beautiful and you're funny and that I want you,” His nose moves up and down the curve of her neck, breathing her in before his stunning cornflower eyes bore into her cinnamon drenched hazel with such honesty and want, she has no choice but to believe him. 'I'll be on the fight back to Denver and you can decide to stop fighting this and take a chance or you can let me down easy. It's up to you, but trust me when I say, Kylie, you're beautiful and you're funny and I've never wanted anyone as badly as I want you.”

The kiss he leaves her with is as soft and tender as it is passionate.

She brings her fingers to her lips, watching Erik go and she knows no man has ever made her feel like this.

Erik is offering her everything. She just has to step up and take it.

and it feels like the first time

like it never did before

feels like the first time

like we've opened up the door

feels like the first time

like it never will again, never again

“feels like the first time” - by foreigner

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

maybe i've just gotta wait

maybe this is a mistake

i'm a fool yeah

maybe i'm just a fool yeah (oh, oh)

girl what would you do, would you wanna

stay

if i were to stay

“last first kiss” - by one direction

This is not, objectively speaking, something “grown ups” who are engaged would do; have four large supreme pizzas, a sick pack of beer and an assortment of candy inside a blanket fort while they're in their underwear, but Tyson and Jesse aren't really concerned about the perception of being grown ups, they're too busy being so in love they can't even see straight.

The deep evergreen lace of her bralette and cheeky underwear against her warm alabaster skin makes Tyson's blood grow hot and thick in his veins.

While Jesse can't stop thinking about how his black boxer briefs hug his thighs.

They both laugh and snort, unaware of the door to the suite opening and how JT and Kacey are stumbling inside. Or it could be Nate and Morgan. It honestly doesn't matter. What matters is they're here together, inside their blanket fort and Jesse has the 3.5 karart diamond ring on her finger.

“Awww man,” Tyson groans, making Jesse blink as she looks at him curiously while he pouts. “Morgan and Nate got married tonight. We're engaged. Elivs was supposed to marry us. They aren't engaged. That's not how it works.”

Jesse giggles and shakes her head as she crawls toward him to sit in his lap. Her amrs wind around his neck and she presses her forhead against his, lovesick smile on her pretty face. “I don't want Elvis to marry us, Tyson,” Her voice is soft and warm, making his heart skip a beat like always. “I want a whole wedding with everyone there. I want my Dad and Joey to walk me down the aisle, to give me away. I want to wear a pretty dress and you to wear a suit.”

Tyson swallows thickly. It's so easy to imagine Jesse on a summer day in a simple white dress with a short veil and Bob – please, tyson i think you can call me bob now and not mr compher – and JT on either side of her walking toward him. Kacey and his Mom are standing with him along with Fab and Barzy and he can't breathe.

Her smile is blinding just like it is right now with only the light from the glittering hotels on the Strip filtering through the sheets of their blanket fort.

He slips her engagement ring off of her finger and she yelps, “Hey!” but he silences her with a heated kiss before she can say anything else. Their tongues tangle together sweetly, her fingers sinking into his curls as his other hand, that's not holding her ring slides up and down her back until they break apart, their lungs burning with the need to breathe.

“Give that back,” Jesse laughs, shoving at his toned chest. “My super hot fiance gave it to me.”

Tyson laughs, loud and unabashed, like always. Flicking an olive from one of the pizzas, Jesse laughs and retaliates by flicking a pepperoni at him. A mini food fight breaks out, Tyson able to catch most of the toppings she flicks at him inside his mouth. They settle and he takes a deep breath, staring deeply inot the familiar warmth of Jesse's soft brown eyes.

He grabs for her hand like he did at the cabin last Christmas and her heart pounds like it did on that crisp winter day. “Tys,” Shaky and soft, falls off her lips and he kisses her quickly before taking another deep breath.

“We're gonna get married just like you want. You're going to wear a pretty dress and I'll wear a suit and your Dad and JT are going to give you away, but I want to promise you stuff right now. Say vows or whatever,” He waves his hand and she nods, feeling her eyes getting misty. “You're my best friend, J. Life is crazy and you never know what's goin g to happen the next day, the next minute or hour, but I know if you're there, it's going to be okay. I know it's not always going to be easy. I don't know a lot, like, having life insurance or buying a house, but I know there's no one else I want to learn all that stuff with execpt you. But what I do know is life will be the most fun because it's with you. I promise, Jesse Chloe Compher, that I will love you forever even if you steal the last of the ketchup chips, forget to buy milk and still can't cook. I promise I will take care of you and won't let you get behind on Grey's Anatomy and I won't watch ahead of you on Ginny and Georgia. I want to be your last first kiss. Will you be mine?”

Jesse can't stop the smile from crossing her face. Seh can't believe she gets to spend the rest of her life with the incredibly sweet and funny and cute boy that's in front of her. He slips her ring back onto her finger and she takes a deep breath, glancing at the diamond before meeting his beautiful, big chocolate eyes.

“Tys, I promise to love you forever. I won't ever let you get down on yourself after a bad game. I will always be your biggest fan, through the ups and the downs. No matter where hockey takes you, I'll be right by your side ready to cheer you on. I can't wait to see you grow and become the best version of yourself on and off the ice. I know you'll never let me down, that if I need you, you'll be there giving me all the support and strength. We can do anything together, so bring on buying a house and figuring out life insurance. I promise,” She laughs, touching his face before leaning into kiss him quickly. “To always make you smile and laugh, to never let you stay sad for too long. I promise to learn how to make Laura's famous Nanaimo bars so you'll always have a tatse of home around. I promise to wear something cute to bed every night. Yes, Tyson Jost, I will be your last first kiss.”

The next kiss they share is longer and as passionate as ever.

When Tyson lays Jesse down amongst all the pillows and blankets, she couldn't say, but all she knows is the warmth of his body against hers. Seh arches against him and he fumbles slightly with the front clasp of her baralette and then his lips are on her skin, making her thighs rub together as his tongue circles one of her nipples. He's so good at this she wonders how she lived so long without him.

They're a tangle of limbs; panting and sweaty, their skin sticking together after they both reach their highs, foreheads pressed together and dopey smiles on their faces.

“We're married now,” Tyson says huskily and Jesse giggles. “Yeah, we are. I'm Mrs. Tyson Jost,” She murmurs. “I'm Mr. Jesse Compher.”

And that's how they fall asleep in the blanket fort in the middle of the sprawling and expensive suite at the Aria hotel. Still a little drunk but as in love as they ever have been.

i wanna be last, yeah

baby, let me be your, let me be your last first

kiss

i wanna be first, yeah

wanna be the first to take it all the way like this

“last first kiss” - by one direction

soundtrack “viva las vegas,” bruce springsteen, “feels like the first time” foreigner “love me harder” ariana grande and the weekend and “fearless” (taylor's version) taylor swift

#nathan mackinnon #erik johnson #tyson jost #jt compher #colorado avalanche #hockey rpf #fanficton

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laresearchette · 5 months ago

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Sunday, November 03, 2024 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES?: HOLIDAY MISMATCH (W Network) 8:00pm HOLIDAY WARS (Food Network Canada) 9:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT?: BEFORE THEY KILL AGAIN (Premiering on November 10 on Investigation Discovery at 9:00pm)

NFL FOOTBALL (TSN) 1:00pm: Cowboys vs. Falcons (TSN) 4:00pm: Jaguars vs. Eagles (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 8:20pm: Colts vs. Vikings

NHL HOCKEY (SN) 1:00pm: Islanders vs. Rangers (SN/SN1) 5:00pm: Kraken vs. Bruins (TSN3) 3:00pm: Lightning vs. Jets (SNOntario) 6:00pm: Leafs vs. Wild (SN/SN1) 8:00pm: Oilers vs. Flames (TSN5) 9:00pm: Sens vs. Avalanche

NWSL SOCCER (TSN2) 3:00pm: Chicago Red Stars vs. Kansas City Current (TSN2) 5:30pm: San Diego Wave vs. Racing Louisville

HEARTLAND (CBC) 7:00pm: The whole family heads to the Hudson Rodeo; emotions run high at the barn dance after Amy helps Nathan deal with a family emergency…OH NO! NOT THE HORSIES!

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN2) 7:30pm: Magic vs. Mavericks

A UNICORN FOR CHRISTMAS (Crave) 7:30pm: A young girl discovers a real-life unicorn at a Christmas carnival and must protect it from a greedy fair owner.

THE GREAT CANADIAN BAKING SHOW (CBC) 8:00pm: Six bakers remain and will channel their inner artist to create bakes using traditional arts and crafts styles and techniques.

COCO (CTV2) 8:01pm: Accompanied by a charming trickster, a young musician embarks on an extraordinary journey through the colorful Land of the Dead to unlock the real story behind his family's history.

COLIN JOST & MICHAEL CHE PRESENT: NEW YORK AFTER DARK (Showcase) 9:00pm: A live stand-up special featuring a mix of up-and-coming and established comics hand-selected and curated by the pair.

THE CHRISTMAS CHOCOLATIER (W Network) 10:00pm: Chocolatier meets an entrepreneur at a magical Christmas market in Québec and falls in love until Charlotte learns that Henry owns a development company intent on destroying the market where Charlotte works to grow her family business.

THE OFFICE MOVERS (Crave) 10:00pm/10:30pm: The Shazam crew splits up to get it all done; while Everett pursues info on a hot new contract from Telegen, Eric and co. take on a bunch of quick jobs that turn out to be more complicated than anticipated. In Episode Two, Everett attempts to impress Trisha and secure Shazam's role in any of her future contracts (specifically the Telegen contract) but first he and his crew must face off with their moving company nemesis, Trini-T Moving.

#cdntv #canadian tv #cancon #canadian tv listings #heartland #the great canadian baking show #the office movers #nfl football #nhl hockey #nwsl soccer

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my-chaos-radio · 1 year ago

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youtube

Release: March 4, 2011

Lyrics:

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Don′t know how I got your number in the end

Think I got of a friend of a friend of a friend

I don't know your name but I remember your face

And I dreamt and I dreamt that you are dreaming of me

Keep on dancing make me give in

Romance take in I am still craving

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Abc and 3 65 model everywhere every day every night

1 2 3 and a look in your eyes

Just bring yourself and a little surprise

Keep on dancing make me give in

Romance take in I am still craving

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Rio Tokyo Paris Milano LA Berlin

Here we go

Songwriter:

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

Girls beautiful

I love you

David Jost / David Roth

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laurenairay · 1 year ago

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Summer days pass me by - T. Jost

“I feel like I’m stuck, doing the same thing over and over with the same nothing at the end. I need to do something new. Wanna help me make this the best summer ever?”

“You do know that sounds like the start of a coming of age film, right?”

Summary: Mollie Thomas has been friends with Tyson Jost since they were children – but this summer by the lake could change everything.

Warnings: childhood friends to lovers, some bad language, a little angst

Word Count: 9.5k

A/N: I love Tyson Jost so much – this is a super indulgent fic that I started back in August 2020, and it’s been one hell of a journey writing it, including a complete rewrite about 2/3 through. This OC was actually the first one I ever attempted on hockeyblr, although I’ve since written a fair few in stories I've since posted over the years, and she holds a special place in my heart.

This Tyson blurb I wrote in July 2022 is what inspired me to rewrite this story (and thank you @bqstqnbruin for all the encouragement to finish it!).

If there was one thing about summer that Mollie Thomas loved the most, it was being by the lake. As soon as the weather was good enough, she would head up there with friends to relax, have barbecues and mess around on the water. Being by the lake simply was the epitome of summer, sunshine and friendship – she’d grown up doing it, her parents trusting her to go alone since the age of 15, and now 10 years later (despite some friends moving away), she still loved nothing more than watching the days roll on by from the lakeshore.

Utter bliss.

Mollie had been teaching history at the local Kelowna high school ever since graduating from the local college three years ago, and when the weather started getting consistently sunny, she even went up to the lake some evenings after work, depending on who was around. But now that the end of the school year was approaching, she would no longer be restricted to the occasional evening after work, and she honestly couldn’t wait.

Why? Because soon one of her best friends would be coming back to Kelowna for the summer. Tyson Jost.

Mollie had known Tyson ever since he’d moved to Kelowna to live with his grandparents when he was 13, his family's house being down the road from Mollie’s family. Her older brother John had been on the same hockey team as Tyson, so he’d always been around – but with John being a couple of years older than them, Tyson and Mollie had become fast friends.

Sure, things had become harder when Tyson had gotten more serious with ice hockey. When Mollie’s brother John had quit playing, choosing to focus on school instead, Mollie had been worried that they wouldn’t want to hang out any more – but that wasn’t the case. Hockey or no hockey, Tyson had always been there for her, and she knew she could count on him for anything.

He was the guy that encouraged her to get out of her comfort zone. He was the guy that turned to her for help asking out his first girlfriend Sarah Cooper. He was the guy that punched her first boyfriend for kissing Jenny Prince behind her back. He was the guy that made her laugh down the phone when college had been stressful. He was the only guy that she would wear another team’s colours for whenever he played against the Canucks. He was the guy that called her with a broken heart when the Avs had traded him. He was the guy that she looked forward to seeing most every summer, and she couldn’t wait to see him this year.

She missed him – who could blame her?

It was a Sunday afternoon, just about to head into the last week of the school year, and Mollie was soaking up the sun by the lake with some of her best friends; Bryony, Louis, Michael, Chase and Allison. There had been other people hanging out with them in the morning, including Mollie’s brother John and his wife Michelle, but the remaining six were the tightest group. So tight, that they’d all chipped in to rent a cottage together this summer, Allison’s uncle owning a couple in the area and offering them first dibs. Naturally, they’d all sprung at the chance of having a summer home base, even if not all of them were there all the time, so Mollie had that to look forward to starting next weekend, the moment that the school year ended. Bryony, Louis and Michael were also teachers, although across various different schools to Mollie, so at least she wouldn’t be the only one up at the cottage during the weekdays.

“Anyone for a refill?”

Mollie turned her head to the camping chair next to her, watching Bryony stand up and wiggle her empty can in the air. Mollie nodded, smiling at her friend, and a few others nodded too. As soon as Bryony walked away, Allison plunked down in the vacated seat, turning to Mollie with a grin.

Allison was probably Mollie’s closest girlfriend in Kelowna – also living on the same street as Mollie’s family – and while the two of them couldn’t have looked more different (Allison a curvaceous insta-airbushed blonde compared to Mollie’s chestnut hair and tomboy runner’s body), Allison had encouraged Mollie to be as confident and friendly as her, and Mollie was forever grateful. Sure, Allison was an incorrigible flirt and flitted between jobs, and sure Mollie had her moments where her anxiety got the better of her – but Allison was as close a friend to her as Tyson was, and Mollie loved that.

Even when Allison’s grin spelled troublemaker, like it did right now as Allison got comfy in Bryony’s vacated chair.

“So you know how my Uncle’s got me helping out with administration for his holiday home rentals this summer, in exchange for us getting our cottage for a lower price?” Allison prompted.

Mollie raised an eyebrow at the glee in her friend’s voice. Whatever it was, clearly she was excited about it – and considering that the cottage had been a good deal, clearly this was good gossip.

“Yeah, I remember…why?” Mollie mused.

“Well, a couple of cottages on this side of the lake have been rented…one of them by someone you know very well…”

Mollie knew her friend meant well, but this cryptic stuff was not helping.

“Out with it, Ally,” Mollie said bluntly.

“Tyson rented the cottage closest to ours for two months,” Allison grinned.

What?

Holy shit.

“He’s going to be here all summer?” Mollie asked, excited.

“Yep! As far as I’ve heard, Tyson’s got some buddies coming up to stay with him at various points, and probably his sister too. I don’t know when or for how long, but there’s definitely enough rooms for all of them in that cabin to be there together so it’s going to be so much fun!” Allison told her, “Now that I think about it, I probably wasn’t meant to tell you. Tyson was probably keeping it as a surprise. Oops.”

Mollie just giggled, too happy to care that Tyson hadn’t said anything to her about his plans. It had been too long since she’d seen her childhood friend – summers just weren’t enough time with him – and knowing that he was going to be around for two solid months just made her heart soar. This was everything.

“Oh man, this is going to be the best summer,” Mollie sighed happily.

“Maybe this summer you and Tyson will finally admit how much you love each other.”

Mollie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. For some reason, Allison (and the rest of their other friends) had it in their heads that her friendship with Tyson was more than platonic. Sometimes it got really annoying because honestly nothing had ever happened between them (not even a hint of an almost) but she tried not to let it bug her. She knew where she stood with Tyson – yeah, he was incredibly handsome, with a good heart and a wonderful smile, but she wouldn’t trade their friendship for anything. Ever.

“We’re just friends, Ally-cat,” Mollie sing-songed, rolling her eyes.

“We’ll see,” Allison sing-songed back.

Honestly. Troublemaker.

Mollie ignored her friend’s laughter as she pulled out her phone, opening up her text thread with Tyson.

From: Mollie

A little birdy tells me you’ve rented a cabin by the lake for the summer…

Mollie barely had to wait a couple of minutes before her phone buzzed with a reply.

From: Tyson

I swear Ally can’t keep her mouth shut.

I was trying to surprise you!

Mollie giggled to herself, ignoring Allison’s wriggling eyebrows.

From: Mollie

Trust me, I’m surprised.

School finishes next week – I can’t wait to see you!

It really had been too long.

“Tell your future husband we miss him!” Allison crowed.

“Oh you’re texting Tyson? Say hi from me!” Chase grinned from across the chair circle.

Mollie stuck her tongue out at him as Allison cackled next to her. Her friends were such dicks sometimes.

From: Mollie

The gang say hi and that they all miss you

“Done, happy?” Mollie said dryly.

“Extremely,” Allison grinned, looking like the cat that ate the canary.

“I don’t know why I like you at all,” Mollie said bluntly, although her smile gave away her lie.

Allison just wriggled her eyebrows again, earning laughter from the whole group and another eye roll from Mollie.

From: Tyson

Hi back from me!

I miss them too

I miss you the most

Mollie’s eyes widened slightly, a light flush warming her cheeks. What? Why was she reacting like this? Tyson said that all the time. Kind of. No, stop it. Mollie swallowed heavily, keeping her eyes down to avoid a reaction from their friends.

From: Mollie

I miss you too

With that, Mollie shoved her phone back into her pocket, just in time for Bryony to arrive with a fresh round of beers, which Mollie was more than grateful for. What was that all about?

“I am so ready for a drink.”

“Make it two,” Mollie mused, grinning at Allison’s words.

“Make it three,” Chase laughed, “I can’t wait to cool off in the lake, it’s too damn hot today.”

That was an understatement. The temperature was sweltering and even just thinking about jumping into the cold water was almost too much to bear. Mollie been waiting all week for this Friday evening – while the four of them who were teachers had been up at the lake during the week every day since their schools finished for the summer a week ago, Allison and Chase had weekday 9-5s, so Mollie had volunteered to drive back into town to bring them out for the weekend, finally bringing their big friendship group together in their rented cabin for the summer. Of course Mollie had visited her family (with her brother John and his wife Michelle reminding her they wouldn’t be up at the lake until next week) to fill the time while she waited for Allison and Chase to be ready, as well as stocking up on supplies, but now Mollie was more than ready to kick back and relax.

After she’d been in the water, of course.

Thankfully Mollie had put a bikini on underneath her clothes, just a simple little red thing, before picking up her friends today, so as soon as she’d parked outside their cabin, brought the cooler of drinks and snacks into the kitchen, and dumped her duffel bag by the stairs, she stripped off her clothes as she walked towards the tempting water. Bryony wolf-whistled as Mollie walked past the three who were already there, and Mollie just flipped them all off with a grin, kicking off her shoes quickly before taking off in a run down the dock and diving into the water.

Bliss.

Allison and Chase, both having stripped down to their swimsuits too, wasted no time in joining Mollie in the water, and all Mollie could do was smile as she resurfaced. This was summer. All of them together in glorious weather at the most beautiful place in Kelowna. What more could she ever want?

“LOOK WHAT THE CAT DRAGGED IN!”

Mollie turned her head at Michael’s hollering, grinning at the sight of the familiar figure walked over from the neighbouring cabin. Tyson. Mollie eagerly hauled herself back up onto the dock, slipping back into her shoes and picking up a towel from the stack at the beginning of the dock to dry herself off with as she walked back to the cabins, waving hello as she got closer.

“There you are.”

Mollie just grinned and threw her arms around Tyson’s neck, him just laughing as he picked her up, swinging her round in a circle, not seeming to care that she was getting him wet.

“You’d think you were happy to see me or something,” Tyson teased, setting her back on her feet.

“Oh hush, you know I am,” Mollie sighed happily, running the towel over her wet hair, “Are you happy to be back here?”

“You know it,” he nodded, smiling sweetly at her, “even more so knowing that I’m nowhere near Buffalo and that you’re here.”

Well Mollie would never say no to a bit of Tyson charm.

“Flattery gets you everywhere, Mr Jost,” she mused, trying to calm her racing heart.

It wasn’t fair that nothing about him had changed at all and yet somehow his pretty curls and pretty face were even more handsome since she’d last seen him. So unfair.

“HEY LOVEBIRDS!”

A shout from Bryony broke Mollie out of her thoughts, and she saw Tyson blush fiercely as they both looked at the group by the chairs to see them all smirking at the two of them. And to think it was usually Allison who was the troublemaker. Mollie just flipped them all double birds, earning laughter.

“We’d better go before people start talking eh?” she laughed, trying to hide her blush.

“Let them talk,” Tyson grinned, but starting walking over to the ring of chairs anyway.

It wasn’t fair that her stomach filled with butterflies at the simple sight of his smile.

As Louis handed Mollie a cold white claw, Tyson already having one in hand, she took the empty seat at Tyson’s side. By the time that Allison and Chase hauled themselves out the water to join the group, they were all well on their way to catching up.

They talked about Bryony and Louis still being together, their relationship going on 5 years strong. They talked about Allison losing another job, her uncle having taken pity on her and letting her do his administration for the summer cabins he owned. They talked about the school year, how parents and kids were a stressful nightmare most days now. They talked about Tyson’s season, sort of, Tyson just saying that he was happy to be back up from the AHL. They talked about Tyson’s sister Kacey, how she was kicking ass and taking names. They talked about Chase’s hard-earned promotion at work, finally getting the recognition he deserved. They talked about all the plans they had for the next two months here at the lake and the more they talked and drank and laughed, Mollie just sank back in her chair, taking everything in, soaking everything up.

This really was heaven.

Tyson noticed her relax back in her chair and just smiled at her, earning a genuine smile back. Yeah this was going to be a summer to remember, she could feel it.

Another couple of days passed at the lake cabin, Chase and Allison heading back into town while Tyson stayed at his place, and Mollie couldn’t be happier. Happy enough to make breakfast pancakes and bacon for Bryony, Louis and Michael after she showered following her early run around the lake, leaving it all in the oven for them with a note while she cleared up. Breakfast she could handle – it was the little things. She knew her friends would appreciate it anyway.

As she was taking out the trash though, she spotted Tyson doing exactly the same from his cabin, and waved enthusiastically at him, grinning as he laughed. He was clearly still adjusting to waking up early, same as she was – he still looked a little bleary eyed as they walked towards the end of their driveways.

“Good morning Tys!” she said cheerfully.

“Morning!” he mused.

She jogged over to him, Tyson catching her in a hug as she reached his side, making her laugh and squeeze him back tightly. Mornings like this were exactly what she had missed while he was away. As she pulled away though, her phone buzzed with a series of texts, and she pulled out her phone only to frown at the sender. Her ex. Ew. He really wasn’t getting the hint.

“Who’s making your face do that?”

Mollie cursed under her breath and tucked her phone away with.

“It’s no-one,” she said simply, willing him to let it go.

“No-one doesn’t make you grimace like that,” Tyson pointed out, “And it doesn’t make you hide it from me. So who is it?”

She really couldn’t pretend around him, could she? And it wasn’t like he hadn’t heard about her terrible ex boyfriends before.

“It’s my ex. Justin. It’s been six months since I caught him texting other girls with all the things he wanted to do to them, and while I don’t know if he physically cheated, I still kicked him to the curb the moment I found out. Every now and again he blows up my phone, even though I never answer him,” Mollie explained, “His mom even knows and yells at him for bugging me. He’ll get bored soon enough.”

Yeah, this latest ex wasn’t exactly one of her finest choices.

The deep frown that shifted onto Tyson’ face was an interesting reaction though.

“If he doesn’t leave you alone, tell me. I still know enough people in this town, and I can hunt him down and punch him if he doesn’t back off.”

A rush of heat went through her veins at his words, a flush spreading across her cheeks.

There was a flashback in her mind to when they were 15, when Tyson found out that her first boyfriend Todd kissed Jenny Prince behind her back, and sucker-punched him at school in her honour. It was a beautiful memory. And to know that he’d still defend her like that?

“You always were my knight in shining armour,” Mollie teased.

But Tyson just shrugged. “You know I’ve got your back no matter what. That’s what best friends are for.”

Such a sweetheart.

Something about his tone though, how seriously he’d taken her words, made Mollie keep her eye on Tyson throughout the day, and by the time that late afternoon rolled around when their barbecue was in full swing, she finally cornered him again. There was just something in his eyes that looked…tense. It wasn’t the Tyson she knew and it worried her that even in the most relaxing place in Kelowna, he still looked so stressed.

“Hey, Tys, fresh beer?”

Tyson smiled his thanks, taking it with a nod. There was no one else standing too closely so she didn’t feel bad for confronting him like this, not at all.

“So are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?” she said softly.

Tyson’s eyes widened a little, before he huffed out a laugh.

“There’s no point hiding anything with you, is there?”

Just like her with him. But Mollie winced. “If there’s something you don’t actually want to talk about, then I’m not going to push. That’s the last thing I want.”

Tyson just nodded, taking a sip of his beer, as if to steel himself. Clearly this was more than passing worry. What was going on?

“Every summer I’ve ever had has been the same. Arrive back to Kelowna, get sympathy and pitying smiles for how shitty the season was, hanging about by the lake, train, start hockey again. I’m tired of it,” Tyson groaned.

“Tired of it?” she asked, confused, trying to understand what he meant.

Surely he didn’t mean he was tired of hockey? She knew how much the sport meant to him.

“I’m tired, Mollie. I feel like I’m stuck, doing the same thing over and over with the same nothing at the end. I need to do something new or I feel like I’m going to go crazy,” Tyson sighed.

Okay, okay that she could manage.

“It must be so frustrating, pouring your whole heart into the sport you love, and not getting the reward you deserve. And the fact that you still feel like this in the off season? That’s not good, Tys,” Mollie murmured, “What can I do to help?”

He sent her a sad smile.

“I’m not sure, really. If I don’t know what I can do, I don’t know what anyone else can do,” he said softly, “But being here with you right now, talking with you like this, I appreciate it. I don’t exactly trust many people with my full thoughts like this.”

That both saddened her and made her heart soar. The fact that he didn’t really have anyone else he could really talk to was devastating…but the fact that he trusted her enough? That was everything.

“Then we can talk and vent and rant and scream as much as you need. And we’ll build your happiness back up, just like you deserve. I’m here for you, Tyson,” she said firmly.

“Yeah?”

That smile would be the end of her, she just knew it.

“Yeah, I mean it,” she nodded, helpless to do anything but smile back.

“Wanna help me make this the best summer ever?” he grinned.

“You do know that sounds like the start of a coming of age film, right?” Mollie teased.

Tyson nudged her with his shoulder, earning a nudge back.

“Is that a yes?” he asked, hope filling his voice.

“Obviously,” she grinned.

How could she say no to him?

But as she looked into his eyes, there was something in his gaze that made her breath hitch in her chest, her grin sliding from her face. Tyson seemed to be caught in the moment too as his own face drifted into neutral, his eyes locked on hers in return. She didn’t realise how close they had shifted until her fingers brushed against his arm, Tyson’s eyes darting down to where they were touching before he looked back up at her. Her heart was pounding, ears full of a rushing sound, her thoughts filled with nothing but the dazed look on Tyson’s face.

It was when his gaze flicked down to her lips that she jolted out of her reverie, just in time for a couple of shrieks and splashes came from the end of the dock.

Fuck. Fuck.

What was that? What the hell was that?

“Mollie…” Tyson murmured, fingers brushing against hers finally.

“I’m going to get some more food,” she said quickly, stepping backwards.

It took all her strength to turn away from the confused hurt expression on Tyson’s face, and walk over to join Bryony and Louis at the barbecue, plastering a smile on her face as her head whirled, desperately trying not to panic. Tyson had almost kissed her. She had almost kissed Tyson. Tyson wanted to kiss her. She wanted to kiss Tyson. Did she want to kiss Tyson?

Of course she wanted to.

But since when did she give into fleeting desires around him? And since when did he ever look at her like that? No, she couldn’t deal with this. She wouldn’t, not tonight. Maybe not ever. What the hell, Tyson?

Tyson and Mollie didn’t talk about the moment they shared at all. The first two weeks of their two month summer, almost a full week since that fateful night, passed quickly and the longer they went not mentioning it, Mollie found herself burying the topic completely. From Wednesday morning to Friday midday, Mollie, Tyson, Bryony, Louis and Chase all quickly fell into a routine that she knew would carry on for the rest of the summer. Mollie did her usual run along the lake front each morning, with Bryony and Tyson joining her for a yoga session today, the Friday morning. She spent each day cycling through swimming, sunbathing, and reading, all of the group taking it in turns to cook dinner while sorting out their own lunches. She kayaked with Chase and Tyson for a couple of hours before lunch on Thursday, the three of them paddling in a comfortable silence most the way, taking pictures to make their friends jealous of the beautiful views.

And now Bryony and Louis were back from their grocery run for the barbecue tonight, to celebrate Mollie’s brother John and his wife Michelle coming up for the weekend, as well as Tyson’s friends Mat and Dante arriving ahead of their own week’s stay. They’d all met Mat and Dante before, the two of them joining Tyson for a few summer’s now (and Dante joining on his own the year before that started) so Mollie was well prepared for the chaos those two always seemed to bring. At least in comparison to the peace and calm that Tyson’s friend JT brought when he visited (which he would be doing for two weeks after Dante and Mat left).

It was going to be an interesting stretch of time, that was for sure.

After Tyson had gotten his friends settled in, they immediately joined Mollie’s group to chill on the clearing by the dock, relaxing for a few hours before they needed to start prepping for the barbecue tonight. Chase and Allison wouldn’t be joining them until later, and neither would John and Michelle, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t have fun before then.

“We’ve got snacks and fresh fruit and cold beers, help yourselves,” Michael grinned, waving towards the coolers on the back decking of their cabin.

Mat, Dante, and Tyson saluted, making them all laugh, Tyson carrying over their own crate of beers to add to the coolers too. Mollie just stayed silent, offering Tyson a small smile, to which he sent a hesitant one back. Great. He was still going to be awkward around his friends too. With a quiet sigh, quiet enough that no-one else heard it, she laid back down on her deckchair, eager to let the sun wash away the underlying tension she was desperate to ignore.

Maybe with his friends here, Tyson would get over the awkwardness and they could return to normal. At least, she hoped they could. She didn’t know what she would do if they didn’t.

“So, Mollie looks good, huh?”

“Don’t even think about it Barzy,” Tyson scowled.

Dante and Mat looked at each other only briefly before bursting into laughter.

“We know she’s yours, Josty. Chill,” Dante snickered.

“She’s not mine,” Tyson shot back, narrowing his eyes.

His friends just laughed harder.

“Yeah okay, and you totally weren’t distracted when she was sunbathing in that tiny pink bikini this afternoon, right,” Mat teased.

“I swear, I will throw you in the lake.”

The weekend was…odd, to say the least. Mollie didn’t spend nearly as much time with Tyson as she normally did, mostly because he looked like he didn’t know what to say to her and she didn’t have a clue what to say to him. She got away with it though, having her brother and sister-in-law up at the cabin, and Tyson having his friends to distract him. She had to get over this weirdness. She needed to.

On the Sunday evening, when her brother John and Michelle drove back into town, she followed them back, staying at her apartment for a night ahead of a family dinner their mom had insisted on for the Monday night. It wasn’t a hardship to take a little break from the cabin, using the time to pamper herself with a long bath and a face mask, giving herself the time to refresh. And Monday she spent giving her apartment a giant deep clean, driving all thoughts from her mind until she only had enough time to shower and change before heading over to her parents house.

“Mollie! Baby! Are you eating enough?”

Mollie just rolled her eyes fondly at her mom’s greeting.

“Nice to see you too mom. I brought wine,” she mused, stepping into her childhood home.

“Ooh, I do love a good cabernet, thank you darling. John and Michelle are already here – they’re with your dad in the den,” her mom said cheerfully, “I’m just finishing up in here!”

“I’ll help you, mom. It’s been a while.”

Mollie’s mom just beamed at her, kissing her cheek before wandering back into the kitchen. She followed with a smile on her face, heart bursting with the love that only a mom could cause, her mom especially. Mollie put on the apron that her mom passed her, the two of them chopping vegetables for the salad in a comfortable silence, Mollie just enjoying her mom dancing along to the radio while they worked. True to her word, they didn’t take long to finish preparing everything, and in no time at all, her mom was calling everyone to the table for dinner.

Incredible chicken pot pie, with creamy mash, a variety of greens, and homemade gravy, with a fruit cobbler for dessert. This was exactly what she needed.

What she didn’t need was her brother opening his mouth the moment that they finished eating.

“So mom, has Mollie told you about Tyson yet?”

What the hell?

“No? Is everything okay?” her mom asked, voice full of concern as she turned to look at Mollie.

She kicked her brother under the table but he just smiled sweetly at her. Her older brother was such a child.

“He’s fine mom. A little stressed after the season, but fine,” Mollie said, as calmly as she could.

“I was talking about all the flirting actually,” John said innocently.

“Shut up, John! There hasn’t been any flirting!” she hissed.

He was a dead man. Michelle could move on happily.

“Flirting?” her dad frowned.

“Flirting?!” her mom cried happily.

For fuck’s sake. She needed to nip this in the bud before her mom pulled out her scrapbooks.

“There is no flirting. John is delusional, maybe a touch of heat stroke. You really check that out for him, Michelle,” Mollie said firmly, her sister-in-law just sending her a pitying smile, “Tyson and I don’t flirt with each other.”

“It’s been different this year and you know it,” John shot back.

Michelle elbowed him, but other than a grunt he didn’t react at all, his smirk staying put.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He’s one of my best friends and you know it,” Mollie scowled.

“Me thinks the lady doth protest too much,” John sing-songed.

“Oh you assho-”

“That’s enough,” their mom interrupted, gaze firm. Mollie snapped her mouth shut, John doing the same. “Johnathan Neil Thomas, cut it out. If Mollie says they’re still just friends, then that’s that.”

Mollie smiled triumphantly, earning an eye roll from her brother.

“And Mollie Eliza Thomas, if there ever is a change between you and Tyson then you know you can be open with us.”

Ugh.

“Mom!” Mollie hissed.

John just threw his head back and cackled, not even flinching at the elbow from his wife this time. How was he 27 years old?

“Alright, alright, I’m stopping,” their mom grinned, “and so is John.”

Seriously. It was bad enough that her head was messed up from whatever the hell had happened at the lake the other day, whatever the hell had been happening since Tyson came back this summer, but she didn’t need her family adding to it too.

“Cheer up buttercup. Whatever happens, happens,” her dad shrugged, smiling.

Mollie didn’t know if that made things better or worse. Sure, John could be doing the opposite, getting defensive and shutting down a ‘potential’ relationship between her and Tyson (not that there was anything) but this wasn’t helping.

“I’m disowning you all,” Mollie grumbled, “not you Michelle. As always, you’re an angel.”

Her brother’s wife just beamed. “If John doesn’t want to sleep on the sofa tonight, he’ll stop.”

What an angel she was indeed.

Her dad tactfully changed the topic to his upcoming fly fishing trip, finally giving Mollie some peace, but she was lost in her head from there on out, Michelle just filling up her wine glass in solidarity. By the time John and Michelle went home, Mollie had drunk a couple of glasses too many to safely drive home, so she crashed in her childhood bedroom, her mom thrilled that she got to fuss over her for another day.

Her dad promised to make her a hearty breakfast.

While she got ready for bed, doing her usual skincare routine after she changed, Mollie finally let herself embrace her thoughts. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, John’s teasing had gotten under her skin.

It’s been different this year and you know it.

Because it had been different this year. This summer had been full of all of this tension that hadn’t been there before that she didn’t know what to do with. This was her and Tyson. If she couldn’t figure out what it all meant to her, then where did that leave them?

Oh.

Oh no.

John was right. He’d been right all along. It was different this year. Everything with Tyson had felt different this year, the flirty teasing, the innocent touches, the way her heart had skipped at his smile. But why? What had changed?

And what could she do about it?

Tyson had never said anything to her about being more than friends in all of their years of knowing each other, not even as a joke in passing. There’d never been a moment like that almost moment before the barbecue the other day. There’d never been anything that had flared Mollie’s feelings into a tailspin like this, but now? Now she didn’t know what to think.

Breathe. Take a moment.

Mollie inhaled shakily, running her trembling hands through her chestnut hair. It was like a dam had burst, her emotions rushing over like a tidal wave, her heart racing and her breathing getting ragged. This had changed everything. How could she not think about Tyson differently now that the floodgates had opened? How could she ignore that he was her everything now that she’d admitted it to herself? What the hell was she supposed to do now?

“Mollie? Is everything alright?”

Mollie snapped out of her thoughts at the sound of her mom’s voice through the door, clearly having seen her light was still on. Damn it. Damn it damn it damn it.

“Yeah mom, just doing some yoga!” Mollie called back, hoping that the lie wasn’t too obvious, that her voice wasn’t too shaky.

“Alright sweetheart, get some rest! I’ll see you in the morning,”

Mollie just squeezed her eyes shut tightly, balling her fists at her sides as she curled up under her duvet. This wasn’t fair. All these years she’d maintained an amazing friendship with Tyson, a constant steadiness that she cherished, but now…could it really stay the same? Could she stay the same, knowing her feelings were actually real, when he didn’t feel the same? Could she pretend to be normal?

Could they even stay friends?

At the lake, unbeknown to Mollie, Tyson was going through his own emotional turmoil, sitting with Dante and Mat in the living area of his cabin.

“What’s going on with you and Mollie?”

“It feels different this year,” was all Tyson could offer to Dante’s question.

“Different…how?” Dante frowned.

Tyson sighed, running a hand over his face, missing the look that his friends exchanged.

“Tys, seriously. You and Mollie have always been so close, and yeah we tease you about it…but has something happened?” Mat said softly.

“I don’t know. There have been some moments. Like, emotionally-charged moments. That first weekend when we first saw each other again, she was wearing this tiny red bikini and she just looked so carefree and beautiful and so goddamn hot that it completely blew past all my defences. I couldn’t help but flirting and she flirted back. Talking to her felt like my heart was clenching and there was something in her eyes that said it wasn’t just me. And the other day at the barbecue, I just…I don’t know. We almost kissed and then she basically ran away,” Tyson said miserably.

Mat laughed softly, making Tyson whine in protest.

“This isn’t funny!”

“Oh it’s kinda funny. Why is it that everyone can see the connection between you two other than you?” Mat mused.

“We’re just friends. That’s all she wants, clearly,” Tyson sighed.

“That’s all she wants? Are you saying that you want more?” Dante asked, grinning.

Tyson just whined again at his friend’s excitement, dropping his head to rest in his hands. He couldn’t deny it, not any more. Not now that things felt so different, so…new. How could he?

“So you’re admitting that you like her. Finally. Are you sure that friendship is all Mollie wants? Have you even said anything?” Mat asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Why would I say anything?!” Tyson yelped, lifting his head up again.

Was Mat crazy?

Both Mat and Dante rolled their eyes. “You literally said that it wasn’t just you that had that emotionally charged moment,” Mat pointed out.

“I know but…”

“If there’s another moment like that, why don’t you just take a chance?” Dante interrupted, before Tyson could spiral into a panic, “if things are stressing you out this much, then maybe she’s feeling the same.”

Tyson bit his bottom lip, contemplating his friend’s words. Could he really do that?

Mat sighed, seeing Tyson’s hesitation. “Look, bud, you never know until you try. The friendship that you and Mollie have is so solid – even if things don’t happen between you two, nothing will change that.”

“I guess you’re right. She wouldn’t be weird about it, even if it is just me with feelings,” Tyson murmured.

Mat frowned, opening his mouth to argue, but Dante just elbowed him in the ribs, making him grunt.

“I don’t think it is just you, but yeah, you really should act on this, before you get too in your head about things. I know it’s scary and I know that you’ve got to take a risk, but I honestly think it’s going to pay off. It’s Mollie, Tys. How can things not?” Dante said warmly.

Mat nodded enthusiastically, making Tyson laugh softly.

“You really think I could take a chance?”

“Absolutely. You’re Tyson fucking Jost – you’ve got this!” Dante grinned.

Tyson smiled weakly, trying to put on a brave face. He wasn’t convinced, not with how much was on the line. Mollie was too important for him to lose. But maybe, just maybe, he could gain even more?

The week went on with Mollie no closer to an answer to what her next steps should be. At least Tyson was a little more relaxed around her, offering her genuine smiles rather than the awkward ones he’d been giving her since their almost moment. On Mat and Dante’s penultimate day, Allison arranged for a four jet skis to be sent up to the lake as a surprise, and they all took turns in racing each other on them, no-one getting too drunk to make sure they stayed safe.

After a few races on the jet ski, Mollie took a break, letting Louis take over to race Bryony, Mat and Dante, while Michael cheered them on and took photos. She could see her phone lighting up with jealous messages from Allison and Chase – FOMO was a bitch – so she could already predict that Allison would be extending their rental until after the full weekend had passed so she could have a go herself.

Mollie headed back out of the cabin with a book, a bottle of water, and some sunscreen, ready to relax for a little while now that she’d pulled some shorts back on, only to see Tyson already sitting where she had been planning to sit. Maybe it was fate. Maybe this was the time they needed, apart from the others. Maybe this was a sign.

Then again, Tyson had been fairly quiet today so far, letting Mat and Dante take the reins in conversation.

“Hey Tys. Mind if I join you?”

He jolted, looking up at her like she’d surprised him, making her frown slightly.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Sure.”

Okay, not quite the reaction she’d been expecting. Even for him, this was weird. Still, she sat down in the chair next to him, reapplying her sunscreen before opening up her book. But the way that Tyson was sitting silently next to her, just staring out at the lake, was unsettling.

“Is everything okay?” she murmured, putting her bookmark in her book.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”

His answer was so short, almost distant, unlike any way he’d ever spoken to her, and it hurt a little to hear that tone in his voice. Maybe she was just missing something, but him brushing her off like that on top of all of her emotional turmoil lately was just enough to make tears spring to her eyes.

It was all she could do to swallow heavily to keep her composure, and she stood up, dropping her book on her chair.

“Where are you going?” Tyson frowned.

“I don’t know. Just need to clear my head, I guess,” Mollie shrugged, attempting to keep her voice light.

“Can I come with you?” Tyson blurted.

That would be the opposite of helpful right now. But when he looked at her so hopefully, how could she say no? Maybe he’d actually open up, and his attitude was all a big misunderstanding? She could only hope. She couldn’t take him pulling away from her, if that’s what this was.

No, she had to have hope.

With a quick glance over her shoulder to check that their friends were all occupied, Mollie started to walk in the opposite direction down the lake front, knowing that Tyson would be following her. She wandered, a little aimlessly, trying to clear her head as she’d said to him, but nothing helped knowing that it was his footsteps following her.

Eventually she slowed to a stop at a little cove, ducking into it to get out of the harsh light of the sun, and Tyson stopped next to her, offering her a small smile. She had to return it – this was the place they’d dubbed ‘their spot’ after all. Back in Tyson’s first summer, she’d found him here after a difficult training session, full of frustration and homesickness, and it had been one of the things that bonded them so quickly. She’d never told anyone about this place, that it was hers and Tyson’s. Mollie hadn’t intended to come here, but clearly her subconscious had other plans.

Tyson took a step towards her, slipping slightly on a rock, and Mollie’s hands darted out to stead him, Tyson clinging to her forearms as he regained his balance. It was only when she laughed and looked back up at him that she realised they were standing so close that she could count his eyelashes, and she froze.

No, no she couldn’t do this. She needed less drama, less intensity, less…

“Mollie,” Tyson murmured, voice breathy.

“Tys, I…I can’t,” she choked.

Her head was swirling as she jerked out of his grip, trying not to slip herself as she stepped past him, but Tyson grabbed her hand to stop her leaving.

“Mollie, please don’t go! Just listen to me!” Tyson begged.

The desperation in his voice made her stop in her tracks. She closed her eyes, keeping her back to him as she tried to control her racing heartbeat, jumping slightly as his hand move to touch her shoulder. Against her better judgement, with a gentle squeeze of his hand, she turned back around to face him, biting her lip at the devastation in his face.

“Tys,” she whispered, a little helplessly.

He’d never looked at her like that before, like she had the power to destroy him completely. She wasn’t sure if she liked it.

“Mollie, sweetheart…”

Sweetheart. He trailed off at her whimper, running a shaky hand through his unruly curls before he looked into her eyes with such determination that butterflies erupted in her stomach.

“You’ve got to know how much I like you, Mollie. Seriously. You’re one of the only people I keep in touch with from home, one of the only true friends I can count on, and you know how much our friendship means to me. But you’ve got to know how our friendship has evolved. It’s…more now, right? You feel it too?”

Mollie’s breath caught in her throat. He…what?

How much I like you.

How much our friendship means to me.

Our friendship has evolved.

You feel it too?

“Please. Say something,” Tyson begged.

How could she deny him that? After everything she started admitting to herself? She closed her eyes, swallowing heavily, only opening them when her heart cracked open a little. If he could be honest, as much of a dream as it felt, then so could she.

“I do feel it, Tys. I just…I didn’t let myself hope that you felt the same,” she whispered.

There it was. She’d finally said the words out loud. Tyson let out a wounded noise, low and sad, but Mollie didn’t say anything. What else could she say without losing all composure?

“I’ve liked you for so long, Molls. I just never let myself act on it because I didn’t think you felt the same. But now…”

Tyson trailed off again into nothing, letting out a whoosh of breath. The hope and wonder in his voice sent a thrill through Mollie’s body, her heart beating a little bit faster. Tyson liked her. He really liked her! And she’d told him how she felt about him too? She’d never thought this moment would actually happen. Definitely not since her emotional realisation a few evenings ago. But now that it was? It felt mindblowing. Was this really happening?

But there was still that niggle of doubt she couldn’t deny. So Mollie gathered her thoughts while Tyson stayed silent, hoping they wouldn’t bite her in the ass.

“I can’t do this if it’s just for the summer,” Mollie blurted, “I can’t be only a fling for you, Tyson. I wouldn’t be able to cope with that. Not with you.”

Tyson quickly shook his head, reaching out to clasp both of her hands in his, making her gasp softly at the warmth in his grip.

“You could never be a fling. This is the real deal between us, Mollie. I know it is. You know it is,” Tyson said firmly.

Mollie just nodded, choking out a laugh, unable to stop the tears welling up in her eyes as she smiled at him, earning a hopeful smile back. He was right. Deep down, no matter how her insecurities whispered, she knew that their friendship meant a solid foundation. It wasn’t a temporary wavering summer-fun. It was…everything.

“So what are you saying?” Mollie murmured, trying to blink away the tears.

Was this really happening?

“Will you be my girl?” Tyson asked, his voice full of hope.

Mollie choked a laugh, her voice thick with the tears that wouldn’t leave. “Yeah, Tys. I’ll be your girl,”

Tyson let out a whoop, throwing his head back, making Mollie laugh again. What a ridiculous guy. She liked him so much. He rested his forehead against hers, one hand rising to cup her cheek, making her inhale sharply as his eyes went more serious.

“Can I kiss you now? Finally?”

Mollie tilted her head up to press her lips to his in answer.

Being with Tyson was easy, easier than Mollie could’ve ever imagined. Somehow that transition from friends to boyfriend and girlfriend was seamless, with not even a little awkwardness like she’d feared there would’ve been. She attributed that to Tyson mainly though – he was such a driving force of happiness, and now that she’d allowed herself to feel all those thoughts she’d subconsciously pushed down before, it was like everything had clicked into place. It was almost like it was fate.

Fate that she was seizing with both hands and never letting go.

The moment that they’d returned to the cabins from the cove, Dante had taken one look at them and demanded Mat to ‘pay up’. Bryony had immediately pulled out her phone, typing away furiously, until she groaned and admitted that Allison had won their pool. Tyson had just laughed when he realised that everyone had been betting on the two of them, Mollie hiding her face in his chest with a groan. Somehow she wasn’t surprised – it was their friends after all – but that didn’t make her feel any better in the moment.

Nor did John’s smug texts – Michelle’s happy ones soothed that a little. She wasn’t surprised either when Tyson came to her after the weekend and admitted that John had given him a shovel talk in private, one that he refused to share the details of (so she knew it had to be violent), but when she’d texted John to berate him, all her brother said was that he approved and that Tyson was a good guy.

That much she knew already, thank you very much.

The rest of their summer raced by. After Mat and Dante left, JT stayed for two weeks, just as thrilled for them as Tyson’s other friends had been (especially since he won the bet he had with Alex Kerfoot about them). After JT left, Kacey and Tyson’s mom came up to stay for a week, and their genuine heartfelt welcome to the family talks left Mollie more emotional than ever, Tyson just smiling with watery eyes (that he later denied).

And obviously her parents were thrilled, Tyson being dragged down to a couple of family dinner over the remaining six weeks of summer, in between his intense workouts, getting him ready for the upcoming season.

But those six weeks flew by faster than Mollie anticipated, the end of summer drawing closer, and Tyson only had few weeks before he needed to get back to Buffalo for training camp. His time at his cabin had come to an end, as had Mollie’s, so he’d come to stay at her apartment with her while he figured out what he wanted to for his remaining time.

The more time Mollie could spend with him, the better, so she wasn’t going to complain. Especially if it meant waking up in Tyson's arms in the mornings. Even if it meant Tyson watching her with adoring expressions as she shuffled through old lesson plans to see which she could spruce up ahead of the upcoming school year.

A few days into them living in her apartment together though, Tyson made breakfast for them both and sat down opposite her with a serious expression on his face, making her a little nervous. They ate mostly in silence, the radio playing in the background, and it wasn’t until he’d put their plates in the sink that Tyson was ready to talk.

“Everything’s been so good between us, right?” he blurted.

The nervous expression on his face made her heart twinge, and not in a fun way.

“It has for me?” she offered, wincing.

“It has for me too, I promise,” he said quickly, taking the edge off her anxiety, “I just…I’ve been thinking a lot. About our future. Where we could end up. Where I want our relationship to end up.”

She tried valiantly to ignore how her heart started beating a little faster.

“What have you been thinking?” she prompted, hoping her voice didn’t sound too shaky.

“I don’t know where I’m going to end up with hockey in the future. The Avs didn’t want me, it didn’t work out with the Wild, and who knows where I’ll be after this coming year with the Sabres after all the up and down this past season. I don’t know where I’ll be playing or what city I’ll be in, but…will you come with me?”

Mollie’s jaw dropped slightly, her breath catching in her throat. He wanted her to go with him? To leave Kelowna? Tyson saw her shock and immediately reached across the island counter to take both of her hands in his, desperate to ground her as he knew she needed.

“I know this is fast, or at least it would be by normal relationship standards, but with how long we’ve known each other and with how right this feels…I just can’t bear the thought of another 9 months without you. Especially not in Buffalo,” Tyson said, his eyes wide and honest.

Go with Tyson? Uproot everything she’d ever known, move away from all her friends, her job, her life?

“Tyson, I…”

She trailed off, biting her lip, unsure of how to continue as her thoughts swirled. But as soon as she did, she noticed how Tyson’s shoulders slumped slightly, his grip on her hands going limp.

“No, you’re right. It’s too soon, isn’t it? I couldn’t ask you to give up your whole life, just like that, that's not fair on you,” Tyson sighed, finally dropping her hands.

Her breath caught in her throat at the defeat in his eyes. That, more than anything else, she hated. How he second guessed himself? His lack of self confidence? That devastation, it just wasn’t right. So Mollie shook her head, taking his hands back in hers.

“Tys, I need a moment to process, yeah?”

He nodded, a glimmer of hope entering his eyes again, making her smile slightly. Mollie huffed out a breath, running her thumbs over his knuckles, as she tried to process his words. Moving with Tyson – moving in with Tyson fully – would change everything. It would be the biggest step she’d ever taken with a relationship, but with Tyson it would be…

“Tell me what’s going through your mind,” Tyson begged, interrupting her flow.

“You just can’t stand the silence huh,” she teased, unable to resist.

“You know I can’t,” he laughed.

But the laugh was strained, making her sigh. Time to be honest.

“I guess…the main thing going through my mind is that this is such a big step,” she admitted.

“Yeah it is. But it’s also exciting? And I wouldn’t have asked you if I wasn’t sure it would work,” Tyson said honestly.

She couldn’t help but blush slightly. The fact that he was so certain about their relationship was refreshing. And she knew that Tyson always put his whole heart into everything, which was exciting - no-one else had ever had this conviction.

“What about my job? My friends? My family? And a visa? I’ve never even left BC, you know I haven’t,” Mollie prompted, going through all her doubts.

Tyson tilted his head back slightly, averting his eyes as he chewed his lip, clearly deep in thought. She couldn’t help but smile – he really was putting so much effort into this.

“I know you love teaching, even though the school you’re at right now has terrible parents…but I know you’d also smash any teaching job in any place, so I think that part is solvable? Family and friends though…that’s the big sacrifice. And I know, because it sucks leaving mine at the end of every summer. It’s sucked leaving you at the end of every summer, even though we were only ever just friends before. I don’t want to leave you again, but I understand if only seeing everyone else a few times a year outside of summer is a deal breaker,” Tyson sighed, “The visa thing I can work out with my agent, so that shouldn’t be an issue. And I know that you haven’t ever left BC – but there’s so much of the world I want to show you, even if that starts with Buffalo.”

Mollie huffed out a breath at his words, knowing he was speaking from the heart. But what should she do? Tyson watched the frustration play out across her face and smiled sadly, squeezing her hands in comfort.

“Hey, whatever you decide, just know that it won’t change how much I love you, yeah?” he said softly.

He loves her? Of all the times to drop that declaration, so simple and sweet. How could her heart not sing at that?

“My god, Tys, I love you too. So much. And you’re right, it would suck to watch you leave again because everything is so different this year. I finally have you and to lose you?”

Mollie frowned, shaking her head as she cut herself off. How could she let him go?

Tyson saw the change in her expression, a wide smile spreading across his lips. “So…?” he asked hopefully.

She laughed at his prompting, and squeezed his hands back.

“Yeah, Tyson, I’m willing to try this, to try us,” Mollie nodded, smiling, “I’ll move with you, to Buffalo, and then wherever you go after that.”

Tyson whooped and stood up from his chair, making her laugh again as he ran around to her side of the island, which quickly turned into a squeal as he threw his arms around her and picked her up to spin her in a circle. The joy in his face was just pure happiness, and Mollie knew right then that she’d made the right decision.

“I can’t wait to see what the future holds for us,” Tyson grinned, resting his forehead against hers.

There was so much to think about, with moving, with getting a visa, with her job, with her apartment in Kelowna. But a future with Tyson? That was all Mollie wanted - and she couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them either.

#my writing #tyson jost fic #summer days pass me by #tyson jost imagine #tyson jost fanfic #tyson jost x oc #nhl fic #nhl imagine #hockey fic #hockey imagine

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