Frozen Over- Dean Di Laurentis
Warnings: Fluff, stress/academic pressure, Minor fall on the ice, lots of soft romance. Basically just a tooth rotting fluff.
Summary: After a brutal week of final exams, Dean notices that you were running on empty. Without explaining himself, he bundles you into his car late at night and drives you somewhere unexpectedโhis favorite place in the world. What starts as an odd midnight trip to the hockey rink turns into a night neither of you will ever forget.
A/N: I have just realized how hard it is to write detailed words. This story was a struggle because I'm horrible at vocabulary so I had to search up a lot. At some point I just gave up and just wrote. So I actually have no idea if this is good. But anyways I hope you Angel's enjoy a very movie-like story.
The highlight of your week was remembering to eat lunch. That was how bad things had gotten.
Finals have consumed every spare second of your life. Notes were scattered across your apartment like confetti after a parade. Empty coffee cups decorated every surface. Your laptop sat open on the coffee table, a textbook balanced precariously on top of another textbook, which rested on top of a notebook filled with frantic handwriting.
And right in the middle of all of it sat a very exhausted and overwhelmed you. Staring blankly at a page you've read six times without absorbing a single word.
A groan escaped you as you dropped your forehead onto the textbook. You couldn't do this anymore. Your brain felt like mush as if it was about to explode.
Then your apartment door opened.You barely lifted your head.
"Hey, baby." Dean's familiar voice drifted through the apartment. Normally, hearing him instantly improves your mood. But tonight you just made a tired noise that sounded vaguely human.
His footsteps approached.
You knew that silence. The silence of Dean observing.
Dean stood beside the couch wearing a black hoodie and gray sweatpants. His hockey bag hung from one shoulder. His eyebrows were raised.
"What?" You asked defensively.
His gaze swept across the room.
The dark circles under your eyes.
The half-eaten granola bar from several hours ago.
Then he looked back at you. "Get dressed."
You blinked at his sudden words. "What?"
You let out a small huff "What are you talking about? I have stuff to do.โ
His expression remained completely serious. "Just get dressed."
You narrowed your eyes. "Why?"
Dean smiled. That annoying smile. The one that meant he knew something you didn't. "Baby, trust me."
You threw a pen at him and he caught it effortlessly. "Dean."
He walked over and gently took your face in both hands. The exhaustion in your eyes made something soften in his expression. For a moment he simply looked at you. Really looked at you. Then he kissed your forehead.
You groaned dramatically and reluctantly got up off of your messy couch.
Five minutes later you emerged from your bedroom bundled in a sweater, leggings, boots, and a winter jacket.
"I still don't know where we're going."
He grabbed your hand. "Come on."
The drive felt endless. The roads were mostly empty. Streetlights passed by in glowing streaks outside the windows. The clock on the dashboard read nearly eleven-thirty.
You sat curled in the passenger seat with your arms crossed. Dean kept one hand on the steering wheel while the other rested on your thigh. Occasionally his thumb brushed back and forth.
You found yourself relaxing despite your confusion. Finally you looked over at him. "You know normal people tell their girlfriends where they're taking them."
Dean smirked. "Where's the fun in that?"
"Unfortunately." You grumbled.
A few minutes later you noticed something familiar.
Your brows furrowed. "Dean."
He parked and turned off the engine. Then climbed out before you could continue questioning him.
Cold air immediately brushed against your cheeks. The campus was quiet. Most students were either asleep or locked away studying. The world felt strangely peaceful.
Dean reached for your hand. "Come on."
You walked toward the athletic building.
Your confusion only grew.
When you reached the entrance you stopped. "...The rink?"
Dean's smile appeared immediately. "Just trust me."
You laughed. "Really? This is your big surprise?"
"That's all you've said for an hour."
"It is not." You crossed your arms.
"It is." He opened the door. You rolled your eyes and followed him inside.
The familiar scent of ice and cold air drifted through the building.
Dean walked ahead and flipped on the lights. Instantly the rink glowed to life. Bright white ice stretched across the arena. The surface shimmered beneath the overhead lights.
Your breath caught despite yourself. It was beautiful. Peaceful. Different when there weren't hundreds of screaming fans filling the seats.
Dean noticed your expression. "Told you."
You smiled reluctantly. "Okay. It's kind of pretty."
Then he disappeared briefly into a storage area. When he returned, he carried two pairs of skates. Your eyes widened. "Oh no."
You pointed at the skates. "I don't know how to skate."
He snorted. "You won't die."
"I most absolutely will."
You groaned as Dean sat down on a nearby bench. Then patted the spot beside him. "Come here."
Moments later he was kneeling in front of you, helping tighten the skates. His fingers moved expertly. Years of practice. Years of hockey.
You watched him. The concentration on his face. The way his hair fell slightly into his eyes. The gentleness in his hands.
How had you gotten so lucky?
As if sensing your gaze, Dean glanced up. A small smile appeared. "What?"
"Nothing." You press your lips together with a shake of your head, trying to contain a smile.
You broke a smile. Maybe you felt a little lighter already.
Ten minutes later you discovered skating was significantly harder than it looked. "Dean!"
"I'm literally falling." You remarked as you gestured to your feet.
"You've been saying that for five minutes."
"Because it's true!" Dean laughed as he steadied you again. His hands settled on your waist.
"Look at me." He said, holding two fingers to his eyes. "Not your feet."
"I'm going to die if I don't watch my feet."
"You're going to fall if you keep watching them." Dean moved backward slowly, guiding you forward. "You trust me?"
"I saw you eat pizza that fell on the floor once." You stated, glancing back at him.
"It was not!โ You exclaimed which made Dean burst out laughing. That sound made you smile. For the first time all week you weren't thinking about finals.
You were justโฆ Here. With him.
Eventually you managed several feet without wobbling. Your eyes widened. "Oh my gosh."
"I did it!โ You raised your arms in the air, calming victory.
Excitement bubbled through you.
Each attempt became easier.
The stress you've been carrying slowly melted away. Just like Dean had hoped.
Later Dean moved toward one of the goals. A bucket of hockey pucks sat nearby.
You eyed them curiously as Dean grabbed a stick. Then handed it to you.
"What am I doing with this?"
You laughed. "There it is again."
Dean grabbed another stick. Then positioned a puck on the ice. "When I get stressed," he said, nudging the puck forward, "I come here."
His gaze drifted across the rink.
"This place clears my head."
Something gentle entered his voice. "And when things get really bad?"
It slammed into the back of the net.
The sound echoed beautifully.
You laughed. "That's actually very on-brand for you."
"I don't think that was a compliment."
Dean grinned and then handed you a puck. "Your turn."
You positioned yourself awkwardly and raised the stick before swinging.
Dean doubled over laughing.
"That's because it was adorable."
You hit him lightly with the stick and then tried again. This time you connected and the puck slid forward.
Dean cheered dramatically.
You laughed and then tried again.
Your jaw dropped. "No way!โ
Dean pointed. "You did it."
Excitement exploded through you. You grabbed another puck.
Each shot released a little more stress.
A little more frustration.
Soon you were laughing so hard you could barely breathe. "Oh my gosh," You gasped. "Now I understand why you like this so much."
Dean smiled, eyes never leaving yours. "I knew you would." Because there it was. The smile he'd been trying to bring back all week.
Not the exhausted version.
You swung too enthusiastically.
The stick went one direction.
You went another. "Dean!"
His eyes widened and quickly lunged forward, trying to catch you. Unfortunately, he lost his balance too.
The next thing you knewโ you two crashed onto the ice together.
A surprised laugh burst from your mouth. Dean groaned dramatically beneath her. "Oof."
You looked down and realized you were sprawled directly on top of him. Then immediately started laughing harder. Dean joined you. Neither of you could stop. The situation was too ridiculous. Too perfectly you.
For a long moment you simply lay there, laughing in the middle of an empty rink. The bright lights reflected around you two. The cold ice beneath. The world somehow feeling very far away.
Eventually the laughter faded, leaving only smiles. And silence.
Your hair had fallen around your face. Dean gently brushed a strand behind your ear. His gaze softened. Then softened even more. Something changed. You saw it immediately. The look in his eyes. The way he was staring at you. Like you were the only person in the universe.
Your heartbeat slowed and then sped up. Because suddenly Dean wasn't laughing anymore. He was just looking at you.
Like he couldn't believe you were real.
His hand remained against your cheek. Warm despite the cold. And before he could overthink itโ Before fear could stop himโ
The words settled between you two.
Your eyes widened and Dean's expression immediately shifted. A flicker of panic. Like maybe he hadn't meant to say it out loud. Or maybe he'd meant to wait.
But it was too late now. The words were there. Hanging in the air. And the thing wasโ you weren't shocked because you didn't feel the same. You were shocked because you've been feeling it for weeks. For months but you've been too scared to say it first.
For a second you just stared and Dean's nervous smile appeared. "Okay, wow. That sounded smoother in my headโ"
A watery laugh came out your mouth. The kind that came when emotions became too big. Then you cupped his face and smiled. The biggest smile he'd ever seen.
The relief on Dean's face was immediate. His eyes closed briefly as if he'd been holding his breath. When he opened them again, he looked happier than you've ever seen him. "Yeah?"
A grin spread across his face. "Good."
You chuckled softly. "Good?"
"You're ridiculous." You shook your head with a giggle
"I know." Then he pulled you closer and kissed you.It was a slow gentle kiss. It was meaningful and not rushed. Not desperate. Just full of everything neither of you had managed to say before tonight.
The kiss lingered. Soft and warm against the cold air surrounding them.
When you finally pulled apart, foreheads rested together. Both of you are smiling. Both completely gone for each other.
"I really do love you," Dean murmured.Your heart melted. "I know."
He kissed your nose and started to kiss over your face, making you giggle. "You're being extra affectionate."
"I have a girlfriend who loves me."
"You had that yesterday."
You rolled your eyes affectionately and Dean simply smiled. Then kissed you one more time.
The arena remained silent around you two. The ice glowed beneath the lights. And for the first time all week, the weight on your shoulders was gone.
Not because your finals had disappeared.Not because your responsibilities were over.
But because someone loved you enough to notice you struggling. Someone loved you enough to drag you out into the middle of the night. To teach you something new. To make you laugh out and to help you breathe again.
And as Dean wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close, you realized something important.
No matter how stressful life becameโ
As long as you had himโ
You'll never have to carry it alone. And judging by the smile on Dean's face, he was thinking the exact same thing.
