devil🗡️🌙📖✨🪩

Getting to my new home wasn't as much of a hassle as I feared it would be. From The Rock, it was about a 17 minute drive. Downtown Newark had a bad rep, but due to the influx of money my new roomate made, my home was in the really rich, really nice area of Newark, New Jersey.

Driving through the gated entrance, providing my parking pass (already setup and registered to my car, all thanks to aforementioned new roomate,) I finally arrived at the apartment complex about a half hour after I left practice.

"Holy shit." I muttered out loud. Looking up at the building from my little 2017 Hyundai sudan made me feel... small. It was a massive high rise, at least 50 stories tall, with glass windows covering the majority of the building's exterior. The windows, which were all obviously one way, reflected the landscape around the complex. Which, as I was quickly learning, was more apartment buildings.

Going off of what Nico had mentioned in past conversations, a good chunk of New Jersey and New York athletes lived here. Nico, Timo, Jack, Luke and about a quarter of the Devils lived here, not to mention the other big teams, like college basketball stars and the occasional baseball player.

I parked in a spot, popped my trunk and grabbed as many of my boxes as I could carry. Luckily, the building had a handful of elevators, so I was set.

"Madam, may I assist you with your packages?" The older man at the door asked me. He was bald, yet had a tiny mustache above his upper lip and the bushiest eyebrows I had ever seen. Preventing myself from giggling at the absurdity was a challenge in itself. "Oh, um. Sure." I shrugged. "Do you have many more?" He asked again, the tiny mustache above his lip moving with the words. "I'm just moving into my apartment, so unfortunately I have caught a few." "Ah!" His eyes lit up and he set my boxes down the counter immediately. "You must be Charlotte, Mr Meier informed us he had a new roommate." "Just Charli, not Charlotte." I tried to form a polite smile, but hearing my full name always made the lump in my stomach grow heavier. "My apologies, Miss Charli. Boys, up to 28, room 96." The concierge snapped his fingers and a group of younger, strong looking men appeared, grabbing my boxes from the counter and the rest from my car. "Your things will be waiting for you in your apartment, Madam. No worries there!" Mustache man clapped his hands together before grabbing my arm gently and leading me towards a small room off of the main lobby. Entering a code to get in, he held the door open for me and headed inside as well. It was well lit, Keuregs, espresso machines and just about any other coffee making device littered the granite countertops. It was gorgeous. "This is the coffee room, Madam. Whenever you need your caffeine fix, you can stop in here. Mr Meier paid for a year's worth of coffee for you already, as he says that since you were a teenager you fueled yourself with the beverage."

He remembered. Of course he remembered, he was Timo fucking Meier. Famous hockey player, puck bunny heartthrob and the most caring man I had met. And he was right, ever since I hit 16, I had been addicted to caffeine. Coffee was my favourite fix, but I also took the drug in the form of energy drinks and occasionally, coffee ice cream. That was normally after a mental breakdown, though. Which to be fair, I could devour a pint of coffee ice cream right about now.

"That was very kind of him, I'll be sure to utilize it every day." I laughed, looking around at all the different syrups, toppings and vats of coffee flavours. "I will leave you to observe, then, Madam. If you find yourself needing anything, let us know. There is a phone in your apartment and in every room here. Please, enjoy your new home." He smiled, heading to leave when I stopped him. "Wait, sir, what room did you say Timo lives in?" "Mr Meier resides on Level 28, Apartment 96. When you get off the elevator on the floor, head almost all the way down. It's the second to last door on the left." "Thank you, Mr?" "Mr Tom, Madam. And of course!" He was so chiper it made me feel like a kid who had just eaten way too many lollipops. He was sugary, so hyped up on life it was astounding he remained calm at all.

Level 28, Apartment 96. His numbers. Wow, was he organized or what? I just hoped the near clinical obsession with things trailed into the way he lived, too. I couldn't deal with messy. Not that I would say anything, of course. Aside from my stupid infatuation with him, he was giving me a place to stay while I found my footing. For free. Not that he needed the money, but.. I'd like to be able to feel like I'm doing my share. That's why I had revamped my Pinterest Board earlier, pinning new recipes for not only every meal but also baking. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach and hell, I wanted a way to his heart.

--

The apartment was gorgeous. It was almost like a man didn't live here. It was pristine, smelt good, the kitchen was stocked with protein rich food as well as sweet indulgences. The large sofa in the living room, because yes, this apartment was the size of a decent sized ranch, fit with a living room, a full kitchen, and more bedrooms than my house, was a deep mahogany color with maroon colored throw pillows. Laying haphazardly on the sofa was a throw blanket, the deepest black velvet I've ever seen. LED light strips bordered the ceiling trim, where the wallpaper was a deeper cream color. His apartment was so cozy, so warm and inviting, everything I had remembered and imagined from Meier.

He had texted me earlier, saying the manager let him know I got home safe. "Your room is the first door on the left in the hallway. Mine is right across, and there's a spare next to yours a bit further down." His message explained. I followed his message, heading to my room. The door was open already, all my boxes laid out on the floor like I had asked. Wow, these workers didn't mess around! I always appreciated when someone listened to what I asked, especially after 3 years of talking to a seemingly brick wall, emotionless jerk of a person.

My bedroom was a warm cream color, a few shades darker than the living room, with a big, King size bed in the middle. The sheets were a light brown with a darker brown comforter, my favourite colour. No wonder I had been getting weirder texts from Nico lately asking me questions pertaining to my favorite colour and how heavy I liked my duvet to be. The room was warm, and-

"Oh my god." Bookshelves. Bookshelves lined the wall to the right of the bed, empty, asking-to-be-filled bookshelves. A little note laid on the shelf of the middle bookcase.

"Just a little welcome to the home gift. Nico told me you still read, as I remembered you doing all those years ago, so I installed some bookshelves for you. Hope they fit a good chunk of your library! :), T."

He got me bookshelves. This man bought me bookshelves for my new home.

I didn't realise I was crying until I heard the front door open, smelling Timo before I saw him. The scent of pine, fresh laundry and home.

"Charli? Are you home?"

Cross Posted on Wattpad!

Words. Words would be an excellent start to replying to the man in front of me. Preferably, a simple greeting would suffice. But even though I had a degree in English, read more than about 90% of people, and prided myself on my verbose vocabulary, not a single word came out of my mouth.

I blinked, hard, pinching my side through my jacket. "Hey, Timo! So sorry, driving really tired me out." I finally, finally responded. "No worries, C." He chuckled again, shaking his head slightly. Shit, did he think I was just another dumb blonde? No, he was too sweet for that. But continuing the conversation would definitely make sure he didn't believe that.

"Thanks again for housing me, for now. I promise I'll do the dishes, I'll help pay rent and I'll get a job to move out as soon as I can." I explained, determined not to be a pest in his hair for too long. "Hey, there's no rush at all. Genuinely, you don't have to pay any rent, dishes aren't a big deal and don't rush to move out. Your life was just upturned, the least I can offer is a bit of stability right now." He smiled gently.

Was this man determined to make me cry?

"Thank you, Meier. It means a lot. Truly." "C'mon, C, we're known each other long enough. You can call me Timo."

I swallowed, knowing that if I started calling him Timo, my crush would turn into me actually realising that I had the fattest feelings for this man.

"Alright, Timo. Thanks again." He nodded, smiling and handing me the keys. "There's a deadbolt above the door handle, and a security code. It's 1928, but I texted it to you just in case." "Great, thanks!" I grinned in return, hoping my nervous sweating wouldn't expose me like it was prone to do. Timo smiled again, "I'll see you at home, Charli girl." And he skated off to continue practicing.

————————-*Timo's POV*—————————

Those blue eyes. Those godforsaken blue eyes. Why the fuck had I agreed to this again?

It wasn't anything against Charli. It was the fact that since I met her, I hadn't been able to stop thinking about her. I hooked up with a few girls here and there to simply scratch an itch, but every time I came, I had to hold back from moaning her name. Ever since Nico introduced me to her at the Halloween party all those years ago, she has infiltrated my mind since. And she wasn't even wearing anything insanely revealing. I mean, she was gorgeous and hot as hell, of course, but I found peace in her soul. Her presence, her demeanour, her voice. Her whip-quick brain and empathetic heart was what attracted me. I could be blind, and Charli would still be the most gorgeous woman in the world to me.

Now that she would be living in my apartment, meaning I would see her all the time, hear her showering, learn her little habits, I was so fucked. How was I ever supposed to let the feelings I had for Charli dissipate if I just invited her to invade my space?

But fuck me, I wanted her to invade my space. I wanted her to become my space. I wanted to walk into my bathroom and find her hair ties on the sink counter, see her toothbrush sitting next to mine in the holder. I wanted to wake up next to her, running my fingers through her golden blonde hair before moving them lower, lower, making her scream my name and come all over my hand. I wanted to-

"Meier, quit daydreaming and try to shoot the puck, will ya?" Keefe shouted and I snapped out of my head.

I began flicking all the pucks in front of me right into the goal, past Markstrom's legs, slap shooting them into center of the goal every fucking time.

So sorry for the later post! They’ll be more regular, now;) Enjoy Chap. 2!

———

Packing all my stuff into boxes wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. After having to get rid of a good chunk of clothes, shoes and other memorabilia of my last relationship, I didn't have too much crap left to pack. Besides, I was planning on going shopping when I hit Jersey again. Retail therapy was something I could always get on board with.

Shoving everything into my small, bright blue sedan, I hit the road early one morning. I stopped at my favourite gas station to fill up my tank and get coffee, put on a playlist and drove straight through to NJ.

I had texted Nico when I left, giving him my ETA so he could let Timo know that I would be his roommate pretty soon. I still hadn't worked up the courage to actually text Meier myself, since Nico did give me his number, too. Every-time I wrote out a new essay to the hockey player, I found more and more small errors that I clearly deemed unacceptable. But then again, Meier hadn't texted me either. I had saved his number in my phone so I would know it was him when he did, but a lump formed in my throat as the days passed and there was radio silence. Was I intruding? Did he not want me there? My mind went a mile a minute, insecurities from my ex bubbling back up to the surface, threatening to spill over. But I was being irrational and overthinking, again. I was just insanely sensitive after my recent events.

The drive really wasn't that bad. I had always loved being behind the wheel, in control of something for once, and playing my music so loud that all the other noise in my head shut up and sat down for a bit. Driving was an escape. If it had been a particularly rough day, no matter the weather, I rode home with my windows down and music on full blast. Surprisingly, I hadn't blown my speakers out yet. Whether it was AC/DC, Taylor Swift or One Direction, I had my speakers up to full capacity; my mirrors shook & pepper-spray in the door rattled but I didn't care. Nothing else mattered when I drove. It was me, my car and the road ahead. Even through the audaciously loud music, I found silence.

Until a ringing interrupted my newfound, very appreciated, silence.

"Timo Meier." The screen read. How the hell was I supposed to answer a phone call, while driving, from the hottest man on earth? My hands shook, my brain was a field of fog and my heart raced. I was so fucked.

I hit answer, simply seeing no other choice. "Hello?" "Hey, Charli, it's Timo! Nico told me you were on your way so I thought I'd give you a quick call to let you know that we'll be at practice around the time you get here; so stop by and I'll give you your key. Tell security you're here for Meier, they'll let you in."

Here for Meier. Fuck, I could get used to that.

"Charli?" Oh shit, mentally went on a  tangent and was leaving Timo fucking Meier waiting on a  call. I was so fucked.

"Yes, sorry. Bad reception right now. I'll be sure to stop by! Thank you so much." I could hear his chuckle through the phone and felt my soul light up. This crush had to stop. It was just a crush, he was a hot ass hockey player who could get any puck bunny he wanted, and I was fantasising about riding him like a fucking bronco.

"No problem, Charli girl. I'll see you then."

Have I mentioned how fucked I am?

—

I put my car into park, grabbing my purse and walking towards The Rock. It had been forever since I had been here; I was a lot younger, less hurt and more hopeful, then. But no matter my mood, being back in Jersey, at Prudential, specifically, cured my dreary mood almost immediately.

"I'm here for Meier." I said, reaching the security at the door. They nodded as if they'd been told and let me pass,  checking my bag as part of their requirements and led me to the rink. "Right through there, Miss." The woman showed me. My heart fluttered. The rink. Oh how I had missed it.

I don't care what anyone said, there was not a bad seat in this center. Nosebleeds, on the ice, lower, upper bowl; it didn't matter. These boys were incredible from any and all angles. I stopped Nico quickly, his brown hair getting swept out of his face by a gloved hand as he went over plays with his teammate, Jack Hughes. They had always been close, almost like brothers, and Jack and his brother, Luke, had joined all of us on vacation more than once. This team was the dictionary worthy example of hockey being a family; this team, a brotherhood.

"Hey, Charli girl!" Nico called, his eyes finding mine almost immediately. Warmth filled my chest and I had to smile. It was so nice to be back in his sweet presence. "Hey, Neeks." I smiled and walked into the seating area, passing a few of his teammates as I got close enough to hug him on the ice. "For someone who just got broken up with, you look great." He chirped, clearly learning some sarcasm from being in the NHL for so long. "Very funny, asshole." I remarked, pushing his shoulder. "It's good to see you back, Charli!" Jack and Luke yelled, fighting over a certain puck, even though the ice was quite literally littered with them. I waved, acknowledging the brothers with a smile on my face.

"Meier said you're here to grab your keys, I'll go get 'em." I nodded, watching Nico skate over to the tunnel to go grab my homes new keys.

I sat down, wrapping my light jacket around me a little tighter as the chill of the ice settled into my bones. I breathed in deeply, pressing my eyes closed gently, taking in my favourite scent: home. I steadied myself, pivoting on the fact that I was back where my heart felt most content and that I was starting over. Everything would be alright, all that was meant to happen would happen, and I had the strength to get through this mess.

Opening my eyes, all that rushed out of my head, though. Because I was met with the kindest, most alluring, gentle blue eyes I had ever seen.

"Hey, Charli girl." Timo Meier remarked, smiling that beautiful grin as he seemed to breathe in my presence.

"Hischier." Hearing his voice immediately sends me into a fit of emotion. "Hey hey hey, Charli, what's going on?" I hear him shuffling around, the familiar sound of a stick being leaned up against the wall.

"Fuck, are you at practice? I'm sorry, Neeks, call me later. It's not important." I tell him, wiping my nose on the sleeve of my sweatshirt. "I will not. You are important. What's going on?" His voice powers through to my common sense and I realise that this is Nico I'm talking to; the closest friend I have and someone who has consistently seen me at my best and worst.

"He left me, Nico. In a fast food parking lot, he broke my heart and gave me back my stuff smelling like his bedroom floor." "Oh shit, C, I'm so sorry. What a fucking asshat. I never liked him, he didn't value your time nor your love. I know it hurts, but you're so much better without him. And I'm sorry about your cat, I know how much she meant to you. Your card is in the mail, but you know how the mail system is." I nod, even though he can't see me. Nico and I met when we were babies since our families intertwined when we all stayed at the same place on vacation. Of course, we were in diapers, so we don't remember the first few years of our friendship. But when we were both old enough to be aware, Nico and I became fast friends, bonding over our love of the cold and our passion for smore's around the fire at night. Once he became a world-famous NHL player, we still kept in touch but obviously not as much. Our families slowly grew apart, still friends but a bit more apart; Nico and I remained friends through it all. We still check in once a month or so, and we send each other cards for every big event in our lives. I reside in Tennessee, with him being in New Jersey for most of the year. Nico has always felt like home, like a brother that I never had. He's been a major source of comfort during my adult life, especially since I decided to apply to university, something that my parents weren't fond of.

"Thank you, Nico. You always know what to say to get me out of my own head." I reply, taking a tissue from the box next to my sofa and wiping the tears that have began rolling down my cheeks to my neck. "Of course, Charlie girl. I know this may seem like a lot, but you can get through anything and you know it. I'm always here for you." "Nico?" "Yea?" "Can I come stay with you? I mean, I don't have too much money but I can definitely contribute to your living costs. I just.. I just need to get away, I need to flee for a while to clear my head. I need to be around someone who feels like home."

The phone goes silent for a full thirty seconds or so, and I'm petrified that he doesn't want me there. I know that would never happen with Nico, but I also never expected my cat to die and the boy I gave my virginity to to totally stomp on my heart in a fucking Wendy's.

"Hello? Neeks?" "Yes, Charli, I'm still here. Listen, my living situation is a little... occupied, right now, especially with the responsibilities of being a captain." I know he's sort of lying through his teeth, since I remember the last time we spoke him telling me him and his girlfriend were getting pretty serious. "But let me talk to one of my guys. Meier's been complaining about being lonely during his movie nights, so I'll see if his spare room is still free."

I swear my heart stops in my chest. Meier. As in, Timo Meier, the hottest hockey player I have ever fucking seen. An absolute sweetheart, too. And the fact that he wants a companion to do movie nights with? Where did he come from, one of my romance novels on my bookshelves?

"Charli?" "Yes, sorry. Ok, yea, let me know. No worries if not. I don't want to inconvenience your buddy, and I don't want to stress you out."

He laughs, as if he can sense my heart rate increasing at the prospect of living with his teammate. "Alright, C. I'll talk to you soon." "Alright, N. I'll talk to you soon." And I swear, I can the gears in that asses head turning.

˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖· · ─ ·♡· ─ · ·˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖

A week or so had gone since Nico and I's conversation. Dealing with my breakup had become slightly easier, especially since nearly every one of my friends admitted to hating my ex from the very start. It does make it easier when you're out of the situation and you suddenly get hit with the intelligence you once had about the difference between boys and men. Boys suck. Men seem to have a greater chance of not becoming a total dickwad.

No matter how intensely I attempted to distract myself, however, my mind seemed to wander back to a certain Swiss man. Over, and over, and over again. During breakfast, lunch, dinner, my nighttime shower, while I was reading my smutty books. He had infiltrated my brain and I had never even held a proper conversation with this man.

I mean, he was attractive, gentle and sweet, from what I could tell. Would either become a husband or a girl's worst heartbreak. But I had to keep my head in my own game, not his. With application statuses updating daily, I had University to focus on. I had applied to a few in Tennessee, but I had also applied to a few online programs for colleges in Jersey. Nico had given me permission to namedrop him during interviews for Jersey Universities, although he made it a point to remind me that with my community college GPA and my somewhat impressive experience in my ideal field, I didn't really need his assistance. It was still a good tool, though, especially for the ones I very badly wanted to get accepted to. Online programs didn't offer the classic college experience, but I didn't need that experience to get my degree. As a first generation student, the less distractions I had, the better I figured I would be.

I sat up in bed, my little reading light clipped to the side of my current paperback as I listened to the soothing sounds of the fireplace ambience I had put on as background noise. I don't care what anyone else says, it enhances my reading experience; I will die on that hill.

My phone rang, cutting me out of the fictional world I had delved into tonight. A photo of me and Nico when we were young fills the screen, my phone vibrating as his name lights up.

"Hey, Neeks." I greet, stretching my legs out in my heavily blanketed bed. "Hey, Charli girl," he replies, calling me the same nickname he has since we were children. "So I talked with Meier and his spare room is still free. I told him about your recent events and he's fine if you move in. Not even worried about the payment situation, more concerned about what movies you want to watch and your dish washing schedule." I laugh, giddy and nervous at the same time. "I mean, as long as I can provide the snacks, I think I'm good with nearly any movie. As long as if it's not in English he puts the subtitles on, unlike another Swissman I know." Nico laughs, "I've watched films with him before and he's better at it than I am. He's real good at almost everything, C, so don't worry."

Why would he say that to a newly single woman? A newly single, very much ovulating woman? Of course I don't share my menstrual phases with him but seriously? Just tell Timo I'm open for business at this point.

I roll my eyes but smile slightly. "As long as he's okay sharing an apartment with someone he barely knows, I'm all in." "Oh I've filled him in. I gave him your number so he'll reach out soon. Pack your bags, C, you're coming back to Jersey." And with that Nico hangs up, leaving me giddily grinning already.

MY OWN WRITING. PLEASE DO NOT COPY.

Hi! I've started writing a Timo Meier x OC fanfic on Wattpad so I thought I'd crosspost it here:) I'm on Wattpad as Devilish529 so feel free to check me out! Here's the little blurb & prologue:) ENJOY!

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Charli White is somewhat of an adopted cousin of Nico Hischier's. While they aren't related by blood, family or anything of the sort, they've known each other since they were in diapers. When Cassie falls on hard times (a dead cat, a breakup & an internship turn down, to be exact) she flees to North Jersey, close to the only family she wants to spend time with. However, Nico is busy playing Captain of the New Jersey Devils and can't house his childhood friend. That's when Timo Meier, Nico's teammate and total heartthrob steps in, allowing Charli to stay at his apartment until she's back on her feet. But when Charli and Timo find themselves in.. interesting.. positions, will they be able to keep their cool? Or will the forced proximity trope, one of Charli's favourites, prove itself true? MATURE TOPICS, LANGUAGE & SITUATIONS!

---

"I just... you're boring, Charli. And I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you, but someone had to tell you. Going to bed by 9, reading and everything else you do. I just got bored. This isn't going to work out."

And there goes my heart, along with the boy who I thought I was going to marry. I've always joked about my grandma lifestyle at the ripe age of 21, but to hear it from the mouth of a person who you deemed your soulmate? What the fuck doesn't even begin to cover the feeling right now. And to do it a week after my childhood cat died in my arms on a random Sunday? C'mon, dude.

"Alright. I want my stuff back, though. The blanket, the socks I left at your house. And I want my underwear back." Even though I'm requiring he give these back to me, I know in my heart that I will donate them, throw them out or burn them. I haven't decided which yet. Maybe I'll set them on fire and throw them onto his parent-paid-for truck. 

After we exchanged the last three years of our lives via physical objects, we took our own paths; me taking the one to somehow, somewhere, repair my heart.