#check please fandom

“Well, I know now. I know a little more how much a simple thing like a snowfall can mean to a person” ― Sylvia Plath

“Jack... Jack”

“Hmm?”

“It's snowing.”

“Yeah.”

“A lot.”

“Right on.”

“No, I’m serious. I mean like a lot.”

Jack, who still had his eyes closed, reached over to Bitty's side of the bed and pouted when he felt it was empty. He opened his eyes and slowly sat up as he stretched while he loudly yawned.  

Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked over to Bitty, who peered out their bedroom windows. 

“Look at this,” he said as he pointed at the windows.

Jack pulled on his jogging pants and padded over toward Bitty.  Sure enough, everything was white. Fluffy snow blanketed everything as far as the eye could see.  Their backyard grill was almost completely covered, and it was still coming down.  

"This is a lot more than what the news predicted," Bitty said, shaking his head. 

"Guess it's a good thing we don't have to be anywhere.  Come back to bed, Bits."

“Look at it,” Bitty said in disbelief.

Jack draped himself over Bitty and brought him in tight for a hug, chest to back.

“Come back to bed,” he accentuated each word with a kiss to BItty’s neck, then padded back to the bed.

Bitty took one more look at the snow, then back at his sleepy grinning husband and figured there were definitely worse ways to weather the storm.

+

Bitty started the coffee brewing, and Jack entered the room in full-on lumberjack gear with a flannel shirt, some long underwear, thick wool socks, and what Jack liked to refer to as his “favorite toque.”

Bitty’s heart fluttered as he took Jack in with wide eyes.

“Aren’t you looking like a winter wonderland?”

Jack laughed and took the mug Bitty offered him.

“Bits, that was terrible―like, even for us, that was bad.”

Bitty chuckled. “Yeah, not my finest moment.”

“So, I’m going to go shovel, and then do we want to make some waffles and bacon?”

Bitty smiled.  “I love how you say ‘we’ when what you’re really saying is ‘Can you please make some waffles and bacon.’”

Jack kissed Bitty. 

“Can you please make some waffles and bacon?” he said sweetly.

“Get outta here, you schmoozer, and go shovel.”

Jack laughed as he returned to the bedroom to finish getting dressed.

+

They weren’t looking to buy a house, not yet.  Jack’s contract was up soon, and they didn’t feel it would be wise to buy a place if they were going to end up moving.  Providence loved Jack, but he wasn’t naive.  He knew it didn’t mean anything when it came time for contracts and potential trades.

Once his contract had been renewed (“Seriously, Jack. The only way you’d ever leave the Falconers is by your own choice,” George had said afterward), Jack and Bitty let themselves start looking.  Just a little bit…

One day, Bitty was perusing real estate online, and there it was, a quiet, unassuming home in Fox Point.  It was a sunny historic cottage built in the late 1800s.  The realtor had charmed them with the open floor plan and two-story addition.  The fireplaced living room, vaulted ceilings, and gourmet kitchen only sweetened the deal.

“You can walk to everything from here,” their realtor, Melissa, had said, “but it still has a small neighborhood feel.”

The history buff in Jack fell in love with the home’s past and Bitty, well, he fell in love with its future, picturing themselves growing old together in that home.

“Do you like it?” Jack asked quietly as they stood in the kitchen while Melissa gave them some privacy.

“Do you?”

“Bits,” Jack asked again, “do you like it?”

“Jack, I love it.  It has a red door!” 

“Then I guess it’s ours,” Jack said as he grinned while Bitty jumped into his arms.

They moved in a few months later, after a couple of final renovations.

“How did we have this much stuff in the apartment?” Jack asked.  “How?”

“Mama finally had the rest of my stuff shipped here.  The trophies, books, old clothes, baby clothes, costumes, everything,” Bitty said as he polished MooMaw’s silver platter and gently placed it on the counter.

“Was she in cahoots with maman?  I just got some boxes of stuff, too,” Jack said, bewildered, as he unpacked old hockey gear from his pee wee days.  “I don’t need this,” he said as he held up an old skate with broken laces.  “Do I?”

Bitty laughed. “Aw, what about our kids?”

Jack looked at his skate and smiled. “We’ll get them new ones.” 

He tossed it aside and pulled out some more books from the box. “Also, I like that subtle segue into the topic of parenthood.”

“It’s not subtle or unsubtle; it’s just practical talk, Mr. Zimmermann.  I mean, it’s not like we’re going to have kids tomorrow.  Maybe in a couple years we’ll see.”

Jack looked at his husband, who unpacked various kitchen odds and ends and smiled as he did.  They had talked about children in the past, peripherally, but they had talked about it.  Now, being married with a house of their own and feeling settled… it seemed like a real possibility.

“Soon, Bits.  Soon.”

Once every dish was finally in place, every book, every cushion, every trophy just so, the very first snowfall of the year began.

“We’re home,” Bitty said as they sat in the window seat, eating pizza, and quietly watching the snow come down.

“Yeah, we are,” Jack said as he smiled and watched Bitty admire the newly fallen snow.

That was two years ago.

+

“What are you doing out here?”

Jack stopped shoveling when he saw Bitty approaching.  He was dressed in his full winter wear, which included an enormous down parka―which Jack continuously chirped him about―a thick knitted cap, and a scarf which wrapped around his neck twice.

“I came to help,” he said.

“But you hate shoveling,” Jack said.  A huff of frosty air came from his mouth.

“But I love you, so,” Bitty shrugged, “it all evens out.”

“The salt is still in the garage.  Wanna get it?”

“Aye-aye, Captain,” Bitty said with a salute.

After a while, Bitty seemed to get in the groove, salting their walkway when all of a sudden, he screamed as a colossal snowball landed right in his face.

“Jack Laurent Zimmermann!  I’m going to kill you!”

Jack laughed as Bitty began to chase him around their backyard, still wiping snow out of his eyes.  His scarf flapped in the wind behind him.

“You’ll make an adorable widower!”

When Bitty finally caught up to him, he jumped onto Jack’s back and pulled him down onto a massive pile of snow.

“You are such a stinker!”

“You should have seen the look on your face, Bittle,” Jack said. 

“Was it anything like this?” Bitty asked as he threw a mound of snow onto Jack’s face.

The two laughed and wrestled, each one turning them both to pin the other down, until Jack finally pulled a dirty move and licked Bitty’s face.

When Bitty rolled off him, swearing up a storm, Jack was laughing so hard, he could barely breathe.

Half an hour later, they came back inside.  Jack and Bitty shook the snow off their boots and bodies, in the back mudroom, and hung up their coats.

“I’m going to change because my husband is a hooligan, and then I’m going to make myself some waffles and bacon.”

Jack smirked, a piece of snow still clung to his beard, “Guess I’ll just sit sadly and watch you eat.”

Bitty winked.  “I guess you will.”

Jack pulled off his sweatshirt and tossed it on the couch as he went straight to the kitchen.  He took out the eggs, milk, bacon, and the giant glass mixing bowl.  He turned on the oven to 400° and washed his hands.

“Should I make all the bacon?” Jack called out.

“Yeah,” Bitty replied as he entered the kitchen. “I’m starving.”

“More coffee?”

“Mmm, yes, please,” Bitty said as he took out the waffle maker.

The two worked in quiet unison, each one familiar with the other’s breakfast dance.  Jack paused to admire the snowfall, still going, then paused once again to admire Bitty.  He wore an old Falconer’s t-shirt and his well-worn Samwell joggers.  The back of his hair stuck up in a million little pieces. 

Jack looked at Bitty’s bare feet and smiled.

“It doesn’t seem like the snow is going to stop anytime soon, does it?” Bitty said.  He cracked 

two eggs into the bowl and stilled when he saw Jack watching him closely.  “What?  Why are you looking at me like that?”

Jack put down the coffee filter and walked over to Bitty in two long strides.  He took him in his arms and smiled.

“Look at you, in your pajamas, always making our house feel like a home even in the coldest, wintry days…”

“Yeah?”

“I think we should do it, Bits.”

“Do what?”

“Should we finally start a family?”

“Really?” Bitty asked so quietly, Jack barely heard him.

“Yes.  I mean, if you’re ready.  If you’re ready, I’m ready, and if you’re not, we can wait… but...”

Bitty looked at Jack, then jumped onto his back like he did outside in the snow, and began laughing. “I cannot believe you!  You spring this on me when I look like this?”

“What does that have anything to do with it?”

“It has everything to do with it, you moose!”

Justin is in the middle of packing-up when a man rushes into the museum's lecture theatre, startling him. Thankfully, he was only holding a packet of balloons and not one of the more lethal accessories he uses in his science demonstration.

“Can I help you?” Justin asks, starting to gather the balloons now scattered over the table.

The man’s figure is shadowy. The stage lights are on but Justin switched off the audience lights after everyone left. The only thing Justin can discern is that the man is tall.

“Have I miss the show?” the guy asks. He has an accent that Justin thinks is some kind of Eastern European. It sparks something in his memory but he doesn’t know why.

“Yes, sorry. I just finished,” Justin tell the man.

The man says something in a foreign language. Justin doesn’t know exactly what but he’s certain it’s a swear word. 

“You have another today?” the man asks, walking toward him, every step bringing him more into the light. Not only is he tall, but he’s broad as well.

“No. Sorry,” Justin apologises, still gathering balloons. “I’ve got two tomorrow though. One at eleven and the other…”

Justin trails off as the man comes fully into the light and Justin realises why the voice was familiar.

The man is Alexei Mashkov, former Falconers player and Justin’s celebrity crush all through college.

Seeing him in the flesh brings a flash of the old attraction back and Justin’s heart speeds up despite him being fifteen years out of college and not having watched a game in years.

"The other?" Alexei prompts.

"At two."

"Okay. Will remember."

Alexei turns and walks out before Justin can quite process that he was in the presence of Alexei Mashkov.

-

True to his word, Alexei turns up to Justin’s 2pm show the next day. 

Sure, Alexei asked Justin about his show times, but Justin didn’t really expect the man to turn up. Which adult comes two days in a row to the same kid-centric science and technology museum? 

Justin deals with Alexei's presence by trying to ignore him and stick to his script. It doesn’t work. Alexei is the odd one out in the audience, not only because of his height and his fame (and Justin’s rekindled college-days attraction), but because he sits and takes notes during the whole show.

After the big finale with the liquid nitrogen and a balloon, the room clears quickly. Except for one person.

Justin swallows, throat dry, as Alexei approaches with the notebook in his hands.

Justin should have a better grasp on his hormones after having lived with them for 37 years. He apparently doesn’t.

“No kid?” Justin asks, because of the not-having-a-grasp-on-his-hormones thing, and it seemed better than blurting out that he used to have a poster of Alexei in his college dorm.

Alexei frowns, but responds. “I don’t have children.”

Justin’s stomach twists in embarrassment. “Sorry. I wasn’t asking that. That’s unprofessional. I mean, no kid here with you?” Justin isn’t making things better. He decides biting his tongue is the solution.

“Ah.” Alexei’s expression smooths out and he shakes his head. “Is no kid. Just me.”

“You came to the kids’ science show by yourself?” 

Will biting his tongue was unsuccessful. He’ll have to try something else.

“Yes. I come to learn.” Alexei holds the notebook up. “Then can go back and tell niece about show.”

“That’s sweet,” Justin tells Alexei, while his brain is flipping out to see Alexei’s sweet side up close. It was always part of the narrative during his time in the NHL; ferocious on the ice and a big teddy bear off it.

“Thank you. She meant to be here but a few days ago, she fall badly,” Alexei explains. “Now can’t walk while healing.”

“That’s rough,” Justin empathises, surprised Alexei is still standing here engaging him in an actual conversation.

"Yes. Spending holidays in hospital not fun."

“Which hospital is your niece at? If you don't mind me asking."

"Royal Far West."

Justin nods. "I know it. I did a rotation there when I was in med school."

Alexei looks at the table covered with Justin's props. "You have gone to med school?"

Justin laughs at the look on Alexei's face. "Yeah. Burnt out after ten years though. It's intense."

"Intense. I understand this."

Alexei looks down (down!) at him and Justin feels like he's back in college. No, even worse. In high school. 

Alexei holds his hand out to Justin. "I'm Alexei."

Justin catches himself from replying 'I know', finally on top (somewhat) of his hormones. "Doctor Justin Oluransi."

Alexei’s hand is rough and warm. And large. 

"Doctor Oluransi." He smiles at Justin.

"Justin is fine,” Justin replies as a shiver runs through him at the way Alexei shapes his name. Maybe his college crush isn't as in the past as he thought. 

Not knowing how to act on that, but trying to extend his time in Alexei’s orbit, Justin makes a suggestion. "Look. If your niece is stuck in a hospital bed, I can get in touch with the hospital and arrange to do a show there."

Alexei’s eyebrows raise. "You can?"

"Sure. I've done it before. We have a partnership with them."

"You are a saint,” Alexei says earnestly.

Justin flushes. "Let's see if the hospital approves it before declaring my sainthood."

Alexei throws his head back and laughs. Justin’s stomach feels fluttery and he subtly pinches his leg. Yep. It’s real. Alexei is laughing at something he said.

-

The hospital is more than happy for Justin to come and do an abridged version of one of his presentations. Then Justin is stuck with how he passes that information on to Alexei. The hospital could have done it for him but he wanted to speak to Alexei again. Thankfully, he's on good terms with a lot of the staff still, and when he explains the situation he's pointed in the right direction.

He finds Alexei's niece in a private room already crammed full of flowers and get well cards. If he didn't know after some late night googling that Alexei was childless and single (not that he's focusing on the second part) he would've assumed they were father and daughter. She has his exact colouring.

Alexei is thankfully in the room and chatting to his niece whose entire left leg up to mid-thigh is covered in plaster. Justin at least knows the language is Russian now, even if he still doesn't understand a single word.

The girl spots him first and says something to Alexei that puts a blush on his cheeks.

"Doctor Oluransi!" Alexei unfolds himself from the chair and comes over to shake Justin's hand. Justin's still not over how towering his height is. It's so rare anyone is taller than Justin. All the man has done is say hello and Justin's already got jelly legs.

"I don't have to do my presentation in Russian, do I?" Justin jokes, holding onto Alexei's hand too long.

"No, no. Sandra first language is English."

"Uncle Alexei is just teaching me Russian for fun," Sandra explains.

Justin turns to her, hoping he appears casual and not flustered because Alexei's now holding his shoulder. "For fun, huh."

Sandra nods. "Yep."

"I get it. I used to try to memorise the periodic table," Justin tells her.

"Already done that," she grins.

"Already--" Justin looks at Alexei who nods at the declaration. The pride for his niece is clear.

Justin must hold Alexei's gaze too long because Sandra clears her throat to get their attention.

"Uncle Alexei, can you get me a coke please?"

"Yes. Of course." Alexei turns to Justin. "You come also?"

"Actually," Sandra interrupts. "Can I ask you some science questions, Doctor Oluransi? Please?" She asks so innocently Justin gets the feeling there's an ulterior motive.

"Well, uh, I guess if it's okay with Alexei?"

Justin can't believe he just used Alexei's name like they're close enough to be on first name terms. He pinches himself. Yep. He really did that.

"Is okay,” Alexei confirms immediately. “I trust you. Plus, am very bad remembering facts, even after writing down. You will do better."

Alexei leaves them alone and Justin takes the seat by Sandra's bed. "What do you want to know?"

"Do you like my uncle?"

So much for Justin appearing casual. "That is not a science question."

"You're a scientist, so it half is,” Sandra points out.

Sandra's intelligence astounds him again. "I'd rather not discuss feelings I may or may not have for Alexei with you."

Sandra pouts. "Fine. Being in here is so boring though."

"So is my love life," Justin sighs. 

Realising it's maybe inappropriate to have shared that, he moves on quickly. "I think I can make it less boring, though. I came here to--"

"So you do like Uncle Alexei!" Sandra sits up straight and fist-pumps.

"No.”

“But you just said--”

“I was talking about you being bored. Not my love life."

"Oh." She slumps back against the pillows.

"Right. Well.” Justin worries he isn’t making a good impression with Sandra. Not that it’s something he should be worrying about; making a good impression with Alexei’s niece. 

“The hospital is letting me do a science show here on the weekend,” he tells Sandra.

Sandra's face lights up again. "That's so cool. Really?"

Alexei returns then with the coke. "What so cool?"

"Doctor Oluransi is doing a science show here on the weekend!"

"See?” Alexei crosses to them and places his hand on Justin’s shoulder. “You are like saint."

Justin's going to have to be more careful about letting his rekindled attraction show while Sandra's in the room. Thankfully, it’s impossible for her to see how fast his pulse is racing as Alexei’s fingers graze the skin above his collar.

“You forgot the straw,” Sandra pouts at her uncle.

“Ah. Sorry. Think I was distract.” 

Sandra sends Justin an indecipherable look at Alexei's words.

“I go get now.” 

Alexei shoots an apologetic smile at Justin. As soon as he’s out of the room, Sandra grins at Justin.

"You do like him," she declares, and takes a sip of her coke without waiting for the straw.

Justin doesn’t try and deny it this time.

-

Justin prepares for the show like he would any other, even though it’s at the hospital and even though he knows Alexei is going to be in the audience. He’s decided that even though he’s clearly still attracted to the man, there isn’t a future there and he shouldn’t spend time imagining one. 

Alexei goes with Sandra back to her room after the show. Justin tries not to feel upset by the fact, but even without the daydreaming, a part of him was hoping Alexei would come and talk to him after the show (that part of him may have gone so far as to make Justin dream of that very thing happening last night).

Telling himself it’s for the best, and he should let his interest in Alexei fade, Justin is totally blindsided when Alexei finds him in an elevator on his way out of the hospital.

“Ah-ha!” Alexei exclaims, stepping inside. “I find you!”

Alexei doesn’t press any of the floor buttons. The doors close and the elevator continues taking Justin down to the parking lot.

“You were looking for me?” Justin knows it’s not possible for his heart to flip over in his chest, but it feels like that’s what happens when Alexei nods.

“Of course I look for you,” Alexei tells him. “Need to say how amazing show was.”

Alexei’s eyes are on Justin. His dreams haven’t done them justice. They’re so warm, Justin feels his blood heating just from staring at them.

The moment is broken as the elevator opens and a mother and son enter. Alexei shuffles in closer to Justin to give them room. Goosebumps run up Justin’s arm when their elbows bump. He’s never found his elbow an erogenous zone but there’s a first time for everything.

The child stares at Alexei. Justin sees the moment he realises who he’s in the elevator with. The kid’s jaw drops and his eyes widen. Justin hopes his face wasn’t that transparent in his adoration when Alexei showed up at his show that first time. It mustn’t have been, otherwise Alexei would have run the other way.

“You’re Alexei Mashkov,” the child announces.

“Honey, don’t bother the man,” the mother tells her son.

“Is no problem,” Alexei smiles and crouches down in front of the kid. “You can call me Tater.”

The kid beams. “Can you sign my cast, Tater?” The child lifts his arm. His cast is already half covered with scribbles. Alexei adds his name.

“Thank you so much,” the mother says as they exit at the gift shop floor, leaving Justin and Alexei alone in the elevator again.

Justin is thoroughly charmed by Alexei’s interaction with the kid. The college crush he had on the man that flared up when Alexei showed up at his first show hasn’t gone away like Justin was imagining it would. Every interaction they have, Justin discovers more of Alexei. And it makes him want to know even more.

Justin doesn’t think he’s in a position to ask for that though, not from a man he’s only interacted with a handful of times. 

As soon as the doors shut, Alexei turns to Justin. Justin notices they aren’t standing as close anymore.

"Sorry,” Alexei apologises. Justin isn’t sure what for until he continues. “Happens a few time with me. Was hockey player in NHL for many years."

"I know,” Justin tells him.

Alexei blinks. "You know? You know who I am all times we talk?"

“I used to follow hockey," Justin admits.

Alexei shuffles on his feet, ending up closer to Justin. “Used to? Where we go wrong?” 

Alexei smiles and Justin laughs. He never thought he'd be teased by Alexei Mashkov. Maybe asking Alexei out isn’t the ridiculous fantasy he first thought. 

“You didn’t go wrong,” he assures Alexei. “I did a doctorate and that took most of my brainspace for 3 years. I never got back into it after that.”

“If you want to start again, I maybe get you tickets to a game?" Alexei suggests. "Falconers, of course.”

Justin's jaw drops. "Seriously?"

"Yes. Serious.” Alexei nods. He shuffles his weight again and ends up so close Justin can smell his deodorant. “You do so much for Sandra. You are great, smart, kind man."

Justin's insides melt. He knows it isn't possible, but he can’t think of another way to describe it.

“That would… That would--Yeah. Okay,” Justin stammers. “That's amazing, Alexei.”

“Okay." Alexei smiles. The right side of his mouth pulls up higher. Justin’s enamoured by it. 

"And I go with, then. Like date.”

Justin’s brain short-circuits. He’d only come around ten seconds ago to the possibility of asking Alexei out. Now Alexei is maybe asking him out?If twenty-year old Justin could see him now. 

“Like a date. Or a date?” Justin checks.

“Ah, I not want to pressure you.”

“I’m a grown man. I can say no if I want.”

“Are you say no?”