Requests are Open

His fingers danced across her bare hipbone. Goosebumps raised in their path. A slight smirk ghosted over his lips at her skin’s reaction. The thought of what he could do to her drove him wild. In her sleep, she let out a deep sigh, as if she was content with life. He thought that she looked beautiful while she slept; like an angel from heaven sent to save him from himself. He continued to draw slow circles on the raised bone. She stirred ever so slightly and he retracted his fingers, not wanting to wake her.

Sleep was precious to her. Otherwise, she was a bear and that made his life harder. He rested his head on his hand, staring down at her. The white sheet clung closely to her nude body. The thought of last night and their adult adventures made his mind race. He drug his finger along her exposed collar bones, laughing silently as more goosebumps appeared. A small smile flexed across her plump lips. He had to stop himself from leaning down and kissing them. It was still early morning; the sun just barely awake. Soft rays of golden light creeped into the bedroom, reflecting small rainbows on the wall opposite the windows.

A few birds began to chirp out their pleasant morning song. He had been awake for hours. He had a terrible sleeping schedule, since having to work third shift for his job. Although, he found no reason to get out of bed. He wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. His girlfriend rolled over closer to him in her sleep. Her fingers stretched out towards him, grazing his bare bicep. Her mouth turned into a small smile again, as if she was reassured that he was still next to her and hadn’t gotten up. He wove his fingers into her soft, brown hair. She smelled like coconut and flowers.

That was one of the things he loved about her. She always smelled so nice and it was a fact that did not go unappreciated by him. He watched her as her eyelashes fluttered ever so slightly and then her blue eyes were staring into his brown ones.

She stretched her body; her breast peeking out over the top of the sheet. He watched as her nipple became a raised peak when exposed to the chilled morning air that filled the bedroom. The sight made his stomach do flips. She let out a breathy giggle and pulled the sheets back up closer to her chin. She tugged on him until he laid back down next to her and his arms wrapped tightly around her, never wanting to let go. After laying like that for almost half an hour, he fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. His grip loosened and she slipped out of his arms. She got out of the bed and wandered into the adjoining bathroom to do her business. Instead of getting back into bed with the love of her life, she went into the kitchen.

She made coffee; the smell filled the house. After pouring herself a cup, she sat down on the chair by the front window. She began to think about everything going on in her life. The changes that were coming soon, the man sleeping in the other room, herself.

An empty feeling began gnawing at her stomach. She didn’t want to let it take over her, but it was always so hard to stop it. Especially now because she was alone, there was nothing she could do to make it go away.

She knew, deep down, that he did really love her. She knew that he cared and that he had the same feelings for her that she had for him. But some days, she found herself forgetting. She let the insecurities take over. She listened to their lies. She couldn’t help it. It had become so ingrained in her that even when people were being honest about their feelings, she figured they were lying.

A soft kiss on the top of her head startled her out of her mind. She looked up to his dark face, letting out a breathless giggle. A soft smile ghosted his lips. He was beautiful. She loved him. 

She could feel it in her chest when he laughed. She knew that she did when he held her hand. She knew that she did when he kissed away her tears. She knew that she loved him when the thought of being with anyone else made her feel disgusted and sick to her stomach. 

Especially as of late, she found that no one remotely evoked the same kinds of emotions. The sight of another attractive male did nothing for her. She didn’t want to be with anyone else. She couldn’t stand the thought of not being with him. It wasn’t that she belonged to him, because she only belonged to herself, but it was almost like they had been made from the same galaxy of stars and from the same nighttime sunset. Almost as if they had been together before, only to be separated so they could find each other again. 

Like Plato had been right; they were a split body. Plato said that humans originally had four arms, four legs, and two faces. As punishment for trying to conquer the gods, Zeus split the humans apart, leaving them as they are known today. Some people spend their entire lives looking for their other half. She was lucky enough to have her standing beside her right now. 

He touched the back of her head once and then turned away, walking back to their shared kitchen. The crinkle of his nose and forehead when he spied her coffee cup did not go unnoticed by her, though. He hated coffee and everything about it. She, on the other hand, needed it to survive. They may have once shared a body, but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be different. 

It was their differences that helped them work out so well. He was large, brooding, intimidating. She was small, fierce, and innocent. There were days where they were alike. There were days that they were polar opposites. He was her darkness and she was his light. Yin and Yang. There can not be one without the other. They were just lucky enough that their polar opposites were within each other. 

He made a light breakfast for the two of them while she watched in quiet content. Moments like these were so simplistic, and yet they were ones she cherished so dearly. She knew that one day she would be old and have a hard time remembering things. She knew that she wasn’t going to remember the big, extravagant things that only happened once; she would remember the little moments that happened every day, the ones that he probably didn’t even notice. She was okay with that. All she needed was for him to be by her side. He didn’t need to remember pointless things. 

They discussed the day’s plans while eating. He refused to kiss her, knowing she’d taste like bitter, black coffee. She would giggle every time he would turn away in disgust when she would offer him a kiss. Her laughter made his heart twitch. He was a man of few emotions but this girl had done something to him. 

He was used to being the lone, alpha wolf. He wasn’t used to gentle. He wasn’t used to being looked after and cared for. It had been so long since he had felt real love that he, too, had insecurities that got in the way and would cause rifts in the relationships. Before her, he hadn’t known that rooms could be so organized. Before her, he hadn't known what it meant to “shop”. To him, shopping was a ten minute, twenty at most, trip to the store with a specific goal in mind. In and out. To her, shopping was an ordeal. An experience. Hours and hours, basically days. At least... that’s what it was to him.

Luckily, they both had the day off. Something, that while not completely rare, didn't happen often. They always took advantage of their coinciding days off with trips to water parks, zoos, family homes. She hated feeling like she wasted a day. He was okay with whatever, as long as he wasn’t forced to make decisions and if he could spend the day by her side. 

He sat at the kitchen table, lazily licking a blunt that he planned on rolling, while she washed the dirty dishes in the sink. He studied her intently. Her hair was an unruly mess, wavy and straight at the same time, frizzy and kind of sticking off the side of her head. He loved how it looked, even if she was usually self-conscious about it. Her tongue poked every so slightly between her lips as she scrubbed a stubborn piece of food. He couldn’t help but smile at the sight; his own tongue frozen on the still unrolled blunt.

She glanced up and giggled, a slight red tint blooming over the apples of her cheeks. He smirked and went back to what he was doing. He could feel his heart swell with the sight of her blushing because of him.

“This must be what real love feels like.” The thought zipped across his mind faster than he could process. He knew that he loved her, but real love. Real love was feeling it. Real love was wanting to make her his wife, right here, right now. Real love was imagining a toddler running down the hall to see him and another one dancing around her legs, all in the way. 

Come over and hang out. -A

Right now?

Yes. Please come. -A

You and Auston had been a sort of on again/off again type of couple for the past year. Never had it ever been “official” like where he would call you his girlfriend in public or to his friends, and you had certainly never met his parents. You weren’t even sure that his parents even knew you existed in their son’s life.

While this situation bothered you, you felt as though there was nothing you could do to change it, so you just enjoyed the moments as they came. You were grateful to have what you did of Auston, so you tried to stay out of your head. 

You sigh, rising from your spot on your very comfortable couch. Auston wanted to you to come over. He hadn’t asked for that in a while. You decide to surprise him with a little treat. Walking into your bedroom, you open your closet, searching towards the back. You choose your favorite black lingerie and change into it, quickly. 

Hurry up. -A

You roll your eyes smirking as you shrug on your tan trench coat and drop your phone into the pocket. Climbing into your car, you get a rush of jittery nerves. A million thoughts race across your mind. What if he laughs in your face? What if he hates it? What if...

Of course, you and Auston had had sex before. It wasn’t like this was the first time at the rodeo or anything, but all of your fears still feel valid because you aren’t his girlfriend. 

The drive to Auston’s apartment complex passes shorter than you would have liked. Pulling into a parking space, your heart pounds in your ears, getting louder with every step you take. You steady your shaking hands with a deep breath and then knock lightly on the cream colored door.

A few seconds pass and a million scenarios have played across your mind by the time the front door swings open and Auston faces you, grinning. Your nerves relax and you smile warmly in return.

“Come on in, Y/N!” He steps aside and you wander into the apartment; a hand falling to the tie of your trench coat. He places a light hand on your lower back as he crosses the room, into the kitchen. You skin comes alive and you stride into the kitchen after him, preparing to give him the shock of a lifetime.

“Is that the pizza?” You hear from the living room. Your heart drops to your toes.

“Nope! Just Y/N!” Auston grabs your hand and drags you into the living room. Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and Kasperi Kapanen all sit on Auston’s couch; their gaze intensely focused on the Mario Kart in front of them. You let out a slight sigh, feeling stupid. 

Auston doesn’t notice and pulls you onto the love seat next to you. He throws an arm casually behind your shoulders, resting on the couch. You sigh once more and try to settle into the couch, knowing you have a long night ahead of you.

Some time passes but you're lost in thought and don’t even hear the boys’ conversation. You feel so ridiculous, sitting in a coat on the couch, but it’s not like you can take it off. For heavens sake, you’re basically naked under your coat. You wonder what time the guys are leaving. Then your mind wanders to the thought of the pizza that’s supposed to be on the way. 

“Y/N?” Auston shakes your knee and you snap your head to him. 

“Yeah?” You tuck a piece of hair back behind your ear. 

“I’ve been saying your name for like three minutes. Are you alright?” His voice lowers as he asks the last part, knowing that you aren’t one to usually broadcast your business to everyone. 

You nod as a loud knock echoes on the front door. Auston rises with a hasty glance in your direction. After he leaves the room, Mitch strikes up a conversation with you to help make you feel included. 

“Don’t you want to take that coat off?” He asks, studying the tan material. 

“Uh... No? I’m okay!” You try to cover your uncertainty with a warm grin in his direction.

“But like, I’m dying here in a t-shirt and shorts. How are you not hot in a full on coat?” William pipes up from his middle seat. You try to stop your eyes from rolling.

“Guys, it’s fine.” You don't mean to snap but from the way the words fill the air, it leaves a harsh edge to the atmosphere.

“What’s wrong?” Auston walks back into the room, clearly sensing the tension, a pizza in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. 

“Nothing.” You say, but of course, leave it to the boys.

“Y/N got mad that we asked if she wanted to take off her coat.” Kappy says.

“I’m sweating and I thought she would be hot, but she bit my head off when I suggested it,” William adds. You loudly groan, shoving yourself to your feet. 

Normally, your brain would be screaming at you to stop what you're doing but all you can think about right now is how, much to your distaste, William is right. You are so overwhelming hot and want nothing more than to just change out of this shitty lingerie that was starting to stick in all the wrong places.

The boys all watch you, shock written across their faces at your gesture.

“Fine! Fine! I’ll take off the fucking coat!” You snap as your trench coat falls to the ground in a flourish. The air grows heavy and still. The tension is so thick; it could be cut with a plastic spoon. 

You never felt more exposed in your entire life. Knowing that four grown man-children were staring directly at your body wasn’t necessarily a flattering thought. 

“Uhm..” You say, awkwardly trying to cover your pronounced cleavage. 

“We’re just...we’re just gonna go..” William rises to his feet and stumbles his way to the door, trying to look anywhere but your face. The other two boys follow suit, mumbling hasty apologies while Auston shoves them out of his house. 

With a snap of the front door, Auston whips around to look at you. His eyes trace up and down your body. While this would normally turn you on, and was the original goal of the night, you feel like a floozy and like you’ve made an incredibly stupid mistake. You awkwardly clear your throat and try to cover your body with your arms.

Auston takes a step closer to you. You can’t help the involuntary reaction to back up. Auston’s face creases in worry.

“Y/N...” He reaches a hand out to you, brushing your arm lightly. You sigh, closing your eyes.

“I’m just going to go..” You reach for your trench coat on the ground; Auston catches your hand and entwines your fingers with his. 

“Please stay.. Let me make it up to you.” He whispers, pulling you into his chest. He presses gentle kisses to your temple, trailing down to the sweet spot by your ear. He sucks lightly as you lean into him, melting at his touch. 

“Please,” he murmurs, nuzzling your cheek with his nose. You nod once and he walks towards his bedroom at the back of the apartment. He kisses your hand and opens the door. 

His voice vibrates through your entire body. You can’t seem to figure out why you were surprised to hear it. You knew he would be here. And yet, you were still shocked. He stomps up to you and Brandon, the random meathead whose arm was currently frozen around your waist. You use his shock to your advantage and slip out of his grasp. 

Michael stops directly in front of the two of you; his eyes wild, jaw flexing. He’s very angry; anyone with a brain could see that. He glances at you and his eyes soften ever so slightly, but his expression hardens when Brandon speaks up.

“What do you want?” He drunkenly slurs out. You feel like a deer caught in headlights. You don’t know what to do. You look everywhere, looking for Tom, looking for an escape, looking anywhere but here. 

“You need to leave. Now.” Michael clenched his fist and then released it, trying to calm down. He knew that you hated seeing him so mad and that it often frightened you. That was the last thing he needed right now. He was trying to win you back, not scare you off. 

“Man, this pretty girl and I are just getting a drink. Go find your own girl.” Brandon responds, trying to pull you back closer to him. You avoid his hand and instinctively step closer to Michael, who pulls you behind him. 

“I did. Now you can go.” Michael stands his ground and Brandon gets the idea, rolling his eyes and stumbling away. You make a mental note to tell Tom about this incident. Michael turns around to face you, taking a small step back to give you your space. 

His cologne fills your nose and numbs your senses. A rush of memories floods your mind and you want more than anything to just collapse into Michael’s arms. But you stop yourself. The thoughts of him ignoring you and not caring are too strong. 

He studies your face, biting his lip as if he has something to say. A lump grows in your throat and you can feel the tears burning your nose and eyes. 

“Y/N, I....” You hold up your hand to stop him. 

“I can't do it, Michael. I just can’t. I can’t be with someone who doesn’t care about me and doesn’t notice what I do for them. I need someone who is going to love me continually and not just when it’s convenient for them.” You blurt it all out, tears starting to leak down your face. 

Michael studies your face and reaches a hand out towards you, but you step back, wiping your nose. 

“I have to go.” You turn and jog back towards the house. You walk through the kitchen and dining room, trying to make your tears less obvious, not wanting people to stare. Your hand is on the handle of the front door when someone catches your shoulder.

“Y/N.” It’s Tom. His eyes are wide and worried.

“I have to go. It was a lovely party, Tom.” Tears fall more violently now. You rip the door open and sprint outside to your car. Climbing into the safety of your vehicle, you sink into the seat, tears overwhelming you. 

Your heart pounds in your ears. Your hands shake and you can’t help but feel like you’re going to throw up everything in your stomach. He had wanted to talk and you ran. 

What a bad habit to get into. Running from the people who cared about you most. You had done it with your dad when he moved away, despite him wanting to keep a close relationship. You had done it with your two previous boyfriends before Michael and now you were doing it to him; something you had always promised him you wouldn’t do. 

You couldn’t help it. You were losing him. As much as you wanted to keep him, you were doing the complete opposite of what it took to keep your best friend, lover, the most important piece of your world. 

Wiping your face, you found yourself grateful for waterproof makeup. Otherwise, you would have for sure looked like a hot mess. Glancing up, you saw Michael leaving Tom’s house, frantically searching for something. You. 

You gasped, throwing the car in reverse and speeding off.

“Y/N!” You hear a muffled shout from the lips of your boyfriend. You don’t slow down and you speed off towards your home. You need to be anywhere but here. Anywhere but where Michael is. The feeling makes you gag. You never thought that you would ever feel like that. He was so different. He was so caring. He was so understanding. He was everything you wanted, needed, and more. The keyword there being was. 

You don’t know what happened or what changed, but he was distant. Cold. Uncaring. He had started to become everything you didn't want. Everything you wanted to get away from. Maybe some other day you could face him and the two of you could talk it out, but today was not that day. You needed more time. He had to understand that, right?

The drive to your mother’s slow and silent. You should have had millions of thoughts zipping across your brain, but there was nothing. Radio silence. If your life was a cartoon, your brain would be the static black and white TV screen with only a faint crackle in the background. There was nothing. Something you were grateful for. 

“How did it go?” Your mom’s cheery voice echoes down the hall as you shut the front door, resting against it. You breathe a sigh as she appears from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel. 

“Oh dear.” The state your in must have been a pretty good indicator. Your ponytail is lopsided with strands falling out. Your eyes puffy and red. 

“It’s alright. I don’t want to talk about it.” You wave your hand at her and disappear into the guest room, needing the rest of the night to yourself. 

Michael’s Point of View 

“I’m sorry,” Tom says, placing a beer into my right hand. I sigh, running my left hand over my face. 

“It’s not your fault. She's your friend too. You have every right to invite her places.” I say, swallowing three large gulps of the icy amber liquid. 

“You need to talk about it,” Tom mumbles after a few long minutes of silence. 

“No, I don't.” 

“Yes you do, Mike. You clearly can’t talk to her about it. Who do you have then? Just me, man. You need to talk to someone.” 

I sigh again, knowing that Tom is right. He is my best friend, outside of Y/N. I should tell him what’s going on. 

“She left the other day. She packed while I was at practice and she just tried to leave while I was gone. Like I wouldn’t figure it out.” I start. Tom nods in encouragement, drinking his own beer. 

“I don’t understand why she wants to leave. I don’t know what’s changed.” I run a hand through my mouse brown hair.

“You have no idea? At all?” Tom throws me a side glance.

“I mean... I don’t know. She got mad that I didn’t come home for dinner the other day.” 

“Was it the only time that that happened?” This thought stops me. Had it only happened once? It did...didn’t it? 

“I...don’t know..” I mumble. 

“Yes you do, Mike.”

“Oh my god.” I sit up straight abruptly. “Oh my god. How could I have not known? I have been pushing her away so much. I’ve skipped dinners and I’ve stopped texting her and I’ve stopped...caring.” I groan throwing my head back. 

“Why are you still sitting here, Michael? I’m not the one you should be talking to anymore.” I nod, standing, wiping my hands on my jeans. I have to find her. I have to get to her.

The loud buzzing of the oven shocks you back into reality. You realize that you had been standing by the table, holding a set of silverware for who knows how long, staring off into space. You set the utensils down by the plate nearest to you and walk back into your newly redesigned kitchen. Pulling the lasagna out the oven, you set it on the stove to cool. By the time your boyfriend of three years, Michael, got home, dinner would be done perfectly.

You fill a couple of cups with ice water and place them on the table. Checking the time, you quickly finish setting out the food and you wander into the living room to wait for Michael to come home. The normal time he got home passed. Then another hour. And another one.

You cover the lasagna and put it into the fridge, not even bothering to eat any. Your appetite has passed when the time Michael was supposed to get home had also come and gone.

You begin to clean up the dinner table, angrily grumbling to yourself. You check your phone for any missed calls or texts, but there were none from him, only your best friend. Ten o’clock rolls around and you wonder if Michael is even going to come home at all.

By ten-thirty, you had changed into more comfortable clothes and had thought of every possible excuse your boyfriend could give you. You hear the front door open shortly after eleven pm.

Michael wanders into the kitchen, grabbing a sports drink from the fridge. He leans against the kitchen counter, methodically drinking the blue liquid. You walk into the kitchen, trying to steady your breathing.

“Hey.” You start the conversation. Michael glances at you and replaces the lid on his drink, setting it down next to him.

“Oh. Hi.” Your blood boils and you can feel your heart rate increasing with every passing second.

“It’s late. You’re late.” You try to keep the accusatory tone out of your voice, but there’s still an edge that doesn’t go unnoticed by the tall male standing across from you.

“I know.” That’s it. You wait for him to say anything else, raising an eyebrow at him. He doesn’t. He picks up his drink and crosses the room to you. He places a “barely there” kiss on your cheek.

“I’m beat. I’m going to bed.” He walks away before you can say anything. You feel your anger leave your body as he leaves the room. You slide down your dark wooden cabinets and rest your head back against them as you sit on the ground. You sigh, feeling defeated.

Lately, Michael had been very distant and not affectionate. You had to be the one to initiate conversation or anything romantic. He looked at you like a space filler. It was starting to take a toll on your heart. You couldn’t keep being the only one who put the effort in. That’s not how relationships worked. You both had to put in the time and effort to make them work. You had began to feel as though Michael didn’t care anymore. Like he didn’t love you anymore.

You look around the kitchen the two of you had picked out. Together. It had only been finished about two months ago. The process was long and it definitely brought the two of you together as a couple. You both felt like your relationship was stronger after having to renovate something together.

You couldn’t figure out where that feeling had gone. Had it been thrown out with the last floor tiles of your old kitchen? Had it left with Michael when he went away on a road trip the day after the new room was finished? Your chest feels heavy as you think about the three years the two of you had spent together and how it all seemed to be going to waste now. Tears began to leak down your face.

You had been keeping them in for so long. You hadn’t cried at all about anything happening between you and Michael yet. Maybe you had been holding out hope that you were just delusional and things were normal and fine. But now, you realize that you can’t live in a fantasy world forever. Things had changed and you didn’t know what to do about it.