#jskinner

To say you fantasized about him that night would be putting it lightly. You hated that just kissing him for that far too short moment seemed to completely ignite your libido, leaving your mind absolutely stuck on his mouth.

Saturday dragged on and on, and you were restless as you forced yourself to run some errands, to clean up a bit around the house. Jeff texted you here and there between practice and spending some time at the gym, and you toyed with the idea of inviting him over. You’d always considered yourself to be independent, and you liked your alone time, but now, all you wanted was for Jeff to be there with you.

Lydia showed up unannounced with pizza and wine sometime in the evening, which turned into the two of you watching Great British Bake Off and bitching about work. It was a nice distraction after having spent most of the day in your own head, and to your surprise, she didn’t bring up Jeff but you were willing to bet that she desperately wanted to. You felt rather sly, Snapping and texting back and forth with Jeff while you and Lydia relaxed, like it was your own little secret.

Lydia stayed late, until you were both practically dozing off on the couch, before heading home, and when she asked what you were doing the next day, that’s why you let it slip that you were seeing Jeff again. She was impressed that you’d kept it quiet, and offered a wink on her way out the door that of course had you rolling your eyes.

With the house to yourself again, you took the wine glasses to the sink and left the empty pizza box on the counter to take out to the trash later. You’re feeling drowsy, but you force yourself to wash your face and throw a load of towels in the wash before getting changed for bed. Your phone buzzes on the end table as you’re tugging on a pair of sweats, and when you reach for it, a grin slides onto your face after seeing that the message is from Jeff.

You climb into bed as you read his message, pulling your blankets over your lap. He’s asking if he can call you, and without bothering to reply, you instead lift the phone to your ear to call him. As it rings, you chew on your bottom lip, feeling slightly nervous for some reason. Jeff answers quickly though, and your heart leaps the second you hear his voice.

“Hey, I’m glad you were still up,” he says, sounding rather tired. You wonder if he’s in bed like you are, and part of you wishes the two of you were on FaceTime so you could see him smile.

“Yeah, Lydia took off about ten minutes ago, so I’m just now climbing into bed,” you tell him, your free hand coming up to push your hair out of your face. You settle into bed a little more, sinking back against the pillows.

“I’ve been watching TV in bed for the last hour, it’s been pretty nice,” Jeff says, letting out a quiet breath of laughter. “A couple of the guys tried to talk me into going out tonight, but I really just wanted a lazy Saturday night.” His words get a laugh out of you this time as well, and it’s honestly just so nice to hear his voice, especially with how soft and warm it was right now.

“I think Lydia and I managed to watch almost half a season of Bake Off tonight, and I don’t know why I let myself binge that show. Every time, without fail, it just makes me want to bake like crazy, even though I’m not really that good at baking.” You feel like you’re rambling a bit by then, but it makes Jeff laugh.

“I remember when we tried to make a cake for your parents’ anniversary the one year and it somehow was hard as a rock,” he teases, laughing after he’s finished speaking. You scoff before laughing along with him, shaking your head at the memory.

“Hey, I still maintain that that was Logan’s fault somehow,” you say, still trying to defend yourself all these years later. Your cheek are flushed, and really, you’re just so happy to be talking to him, even when it’s just this playful banter. “Besides, even if I did manage to fuck up the cake that badly, I’m sure I’m a lot better at baking now than I was at 14.”

“I dunno if I believe you, honestly,” he says, obviously just trying to bug you by then. You hate that it’s working, and you can imagine that he’s grinning, quite pleased with himself. It doesn’t take long before you’re scoffing again, quickly changing the subject.

“Is there a reason you wanted me to call you, or did you just want to drive me insane all night?” you ask, trying your best to sound irritated but it doesn’t quite work.

“Believe it or not, there was a reason,” he says, and you can practically hear his grin through the phone. “I, uh, figured we might want to iron out some plans for tomorrow.” There’s a sudden nervousness to his voice then, and it bleeds right into you, making your cheeks burn in the dark.

“Oh...yeah,” you pause to exhale a laugh. “That’s a good idea, actually.” He laughs with you then, and he clears his throat before speaking.

“So, I’ve kind of got something planned, but I wanted to run it by you first, to make sure it wasn’t...too much or anything,” he explains, that nervousness settling into the tone of his voice again. “There’s this Italian place that a couple of my teammates are obsessed with, and it’s pretty fancy, like I don’t think I can even pronounce the name of the place, and I―”

“Jeff, please don’t feel like we have to do anything over the top,” you interrupt quickly, biting your lip afterwards. You sink down into the mattress more, shifting between the sheets in an effort to get comfortable.

“I know that, but after all of those cheap dates I took you on in high school, I feel like I’ve got to step up my game now,” Jeff tells you, and immediately, both of you are laughing before he continues on a moment later. “I’ve got a couple good back up ideas too.”

“No, no, I’m totally on board with the fancy Italian place, trust me,” you assure him, still grinning widely to yourself.

He exhales then, sounding rather relieved, and you laugh again. “Okay, good,” he says, and you can all but hear him relax. It still amazes you that it’s so easy for him to make you feel like a nervous, lovesick teenager all over again and it’s becoming more obvious at least that you have the same effect on him as well. “Do we wanna do dinner at 6 then?”

“Uh, yeah, that works for me,” you tell him, voice rather soft then as you feel excitement bubble in your stomach now that plans are set in stone for tomorrow. You’re quite for a moment as you chew on your bottom lip. “Any chance I’ll be able to talk you into hanging around at my place for a while after dinner?”

“You’ll just have to say please,” he teases, making you roll your eyes, because of course he won’t just make things easy on you.

“Oh, well, we’ll see if I’m up for that tomorrow then,” you respond, trying to sound as noncommittal as possible, even shrugging to yourself for dramatic effect. Jeff thinks it’s funny at least, and he laughs softly. You can damn near imagine him smiling at you, and just that thought has you exhaling a quiet sigh.

“What are you thinking?” he asks a moment later, and there’s a gentleness to his voice that makes you want to curl up into him and never move.

“Nothing really, just that I’m excited to see you tomorrow,” you tell him, picking a piece of fuzz off your shirt idly as you try not to think about how warm his hands had been when they were resting on your waist last night.

He’s quiet for a moment, almost to the point that you feel antsy. “I’m excited too, trust me. I’m glad we’ll finally just get to spend a good chunk of time together all at once,” he says, and by that point, you’re smiling so hard that your face hurts.

“Yeah, I know what you mean,” you respond, trying to ignore the warmth that’s settling through your body in response to his words.

The two of you end up talking a while longer until you can’t stop yawning, and one of the last things Jeff says is that he can’t wait to see you the next day. You doze off easily, thinking about him and how eager you are to have him to yourself for several hours.

By early Sunday afternoon, you’re kicking yourself for thinking Saturday had passed slowly, because today, waiting for six o’clock to arrive it actually felt like time was moving backwards. Jeff seemed just as impatient, really, and the two of you spent most of the day texting, stemming from the good morning text you woke up to. Lydia texted you a few times as well, mostly just to bother you about the date. Now that she knew about it, she had no problem being nosy it seemed.

Jeff showed up a little earlier than you’d anticipated, and because you’d been in the bathroom trying to make your hair look decent, you’d missed his text that he was heading your way. As soon as you heard the knock on the door, you were cursing under your breath as you try to get your earrings in, padding barefoot down the hall to let him in.

“You’re super early,” you say as you swing open the door, and it’s a good thing you started speaking when you did because seeing him standing there in a suit makes your mind go blank.

You’d seen him in suits after the games you’d been to, but now? Damn, he looked good. He’d gone without a tie, and his shirt wasn’t buttoned all the way up. Just as you realize that you’re practically staring at him, you notice that his eyes are on you just as much as yours had been on him.

“You….look incredible, wow,” he murmurs eventually, eyes lifting to your face as he flashes you a grin. You feel your cheeks heat up as you grin, stepping to the side to let him step into the foyer. His eyes are still on you, taking you in, and you try to ignore the heat creeping up the back of your neck.

“I’ve only got one earring in,” you respond with a quick laugh, trying to sound modest as you remember that the other is still in your hand. At least putting the other earring in gave you a short distraction from how good he looked. You’re dressed at least, which is better than nothing. After worrying about what to wear to such a fancy place, you opted for the classic little black dress, deciding that simple was the way to go.

“Well, I trust me, I wasn’t looking at your ears,” Jeff says, clearing his throat a second later and stuffing his hands in his pockets like he’s worried what he’d said came off weird. The words make you snort though and you grin, your hands smoothing down the front of your dress as you look at him. You meet eyes and you’re both quiet for a beat, both of you grinning at each other like you don’t know what to do next.

“I, uh..I should put some shoes on, uh, then I’ll be ready to go,” you tell him, stumbling over your words a bit. He nods, biting his lip and you see his eyes drag over your frame again. You’re about to turn away from him, to run back to your room where your heels were waiting, but instead, you step toward him.

He must be having the same thoughts as you then, because as soon as you’re close enough, his arm is settling around your waist to pull you even closer. “I missed you,” he tells you, the words half whispered as you look up at him with a grin.

“I missed you too,” you reply, loving the smile that spreads across his face in response to your words. The dimple is driving you extra crazy today for some reason, and you tilt your head up enough to kiss his cheek softly.

You’re about to pull away when he says your name quietly and you look at him through your eyelashes. His hand comes up to cup your face, and his eyes move over your features slowly, leaving you feeling a bit impatient. Just when you’re about to say something, he kisses you, soft and almost lazy as the two of you stand there in your foyer.

You raise an arm to settle it around his neck in an effort to keep him close, your other hand resting against his chest as you lean into him. He’s warm, and you can smell his cologne, and you’re already feeling so weak for him that you’re not sure you’ll be able to handle looking at him in that suit all night. Despite the burning need in your stomach, you manage to keep the kiss slow and easy, and you force yourself to pull back after sliding your tongue along his bottom lip.

“I should go put some shoes on,” you repeat with a breathless giggle as you try to pull back. His arms still tight around your waist though, and he’s grinning, cheeks flushed, as he keeps you held in place close to him.

“Yeah, you should,” he murmurs, pressing another kiss to your mouth. It’s short, but firm enough to have you practically melting against him, and just as quickly as he’s pulled your body to his, he’s letting you go. “Otherwise, we’re gonna end up missing our reservation.” He’s grinning at you then, biting his bottom lip, and there’s a mischievous look in his eye that leaves you feeling weak in the knees.

You use the time it takes to grab your shoes from your room to try and slow your heart rate, hoping that somehow you can forget about just how sexually frustrated you are and get through dinner without wanting to tear that suit off of him. With your shoes on, you leave your room a moment later, and find Jeff looking around your living room, particularly interested in the photos on your bookshelf.

“Glad to know the NHL hasn’t snapped you out of your nosiness,” you tease, and he jumps like he hadn’t heard you coming. A flush colors his cheeks quickly as he turns to face you, and a smile slides onto his face.

“I’m in this picture!” he says, pointing to one and sounding rather happy about it. Realization washes over you, and you feel a little guilty that you’d forgotten he was in one of the photos you’d had framed and on display in every place you’ve lived since college.

“Honestly, I forgot you were in that one,” you admit, smiling nonetheless as you shift your weight from one foot to another.

“I see how it is,” he murmurs, shooting you a skeptical look that makes you roll your eyes with a laugh. He’s grinning again a second later, his attention leaving the photo frames to move toward you again. “You ready now?” His eyebrows raise as he speaks and you practically beam at him, nodding. “Good.”

For the majority of the ride to the restaurant, Jeff held your hand, and it was impossible not to think back to the days of quick ice cream dates between school and practices. It felt good to have time though, to know you got to be with him for more than an hour or two. You talked a bit, mostly just small talk, but you both just seem happy to be in the same space together.

The restaurant far exceeded your expectations of just how fancy it would be. Jeff was certainly enjoying it though, having the opportunity to treat you to something so nice. He ordered a bottle of wine for the table, and as soon as the waiter walked away, Jeff looked at you with a bit of a grimace.

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I butchered the name of that wine,” he says, shifting in his seat with a wide grin, simply shrugging it off. His words make you laugh, and glancing around, you feel far underdressed and out of place, but being there with him is worth it.

The two of you blow through a few pieces of small talk, sipping at wine and enjoying the fact that you were together. Of course, the food was incredible, and when there was a slight lull in conversation as you were finishing up, you sat up in your seat a little more.

“Wanna know a little bit of a secret?” you ask, biting your lip as you lean forward slightly. You know it’s terrible manners, but you rest your elbows on edge of the table as you look at him.

“Always,” he says, looking intrigued as he reaches for his wine glass. He takes a sip, then mirrors your actions, leaning forward so his elbows are on the table as well.

It’s impossible to stop yourself from grinning widely at him then, and you can only imagine how odd the two of you must look to the other diners. Clearing your throat, you feel your cheeks flush slightly, but you hold his gaze.

“So, you remember that first game Lydia took me to, and I said it was a last minute thing?” you start, clearing your throat as you pause.

“Yeah, I think I might, why?” he responds, and the snarky grin on his face makes you nudge him under the table with your foot teasingly as you roll your eyes. His grin only widens in response to the contact, and he responds by nudging your foot right back.

“It’s not really much of a secret, I guess, but Lydia knew about our history before you even came to Buffalo. I mean, she texted me in the middle of a meeting when you got traded for christ's sake,” you say, laughing rather nervously as you shake your head. “She bugged the hell out of me about trying to reach out to you, but I dunno, I guess I was just scared, so she took matters into her own hands. The day of that game though, she talked me into going to eat downtown, but then sprung it on me that we were actually going to the game.” You pause again, taking a deep breath. “Long story short, I guess, the devil works hard, but Lydia works harder.” Jeff is grinning then as you laugh with a shrug, leaning back in your seat now that you’ve finished speaking.

“Well,” he starts, letting out a deep sigh as he watches you. “Guess I should probably clue you in on my own secret then, since we’re on the topic.” He pauses, pushing a hand through his hair and you look at him expectantly, eyebrow raised in curiosity. “I, uh..I knew that you lived in Buffalo. That was the first thing my mom told me when I said I got traded, that you lived here.” He was blushing like mad, just like you surely had been when you were talking about Lydia’s meddling. You’re about to jump in to ask questions about what he’d just said, but instead he continues on. “Every time I was out, I felt like I was looking for you, hoping we’d bump into each other somehow, but I guess now I owe Lydia a massive favor or dinner or something for making my life a lot easier.”

His words make you snort softly, and you shake your head. “She made both of our lives easier, honestly, but if we ever tell her that, she’ll never let us forget it,” you tell him, grinning as you bring a hand up to tuck your hair behind your ear. Jeff laughs as he reaches for his wine glass, and you can see a soft flush coloring his cheeks.

“My lips are sealed then,” he says, nodding as he nudges your foot under the table again lightly.

When dinner is over a while later, Jeff’s arm settles around your shoulders at the valet booth as you wait for his car to be brought up. You lean into his side easily, enjoying the warmth of his body and the smell of his cologne as he kisses your temple before letting his nose nudge at your hair lightly. When you have to pull away a moment later, you glance up at him and lean back into him enough to press a short kiss to his mouth.

On the road a few minutes later, Jeff glances at you before reaching for your hand. “Does the offer still stand to hang out at your place for a while?” he asks, brushing his thumb over your knuckles lightly as you lace your fingers with his.

You turn your attention to him, raising your eyebrows slightly. “What, you’re not gonna make me say please?” you tease with a wide grin, squeezing his hand.

“Nah,” he says, looking at you again as he comes to a stop at a red light. There’s an almost shy smile on his face, and he shrugs a second later to make you exhale a breath of laughter.

“Don’t worry, the offer still stands,” you tell him, feeling giddiness creeping into you then as Jeff nods.

“I was never gonna make you say please, y’know,” he tells you, his eyes moving back to the road when the light turns green.

“I know,” you respond, enjoying the fact that he’s still grinning even as he’s watching the road.

The last few minutes of the drive are quiet, and you’re impressed to see that he remembered the better route back to your place. He doesn’t let go of your hand until he’s pulling into your driveway and reaching to turn off the car. Turning toward you, his shy smile is back and you’re pressing your lips together as you unfasten your seatbelt.

“C’mon, let’s go,” you tell him, reaching for the door handle. He nods eagerly, clearing his throat as he steps out of the car. You’re expecting him to approach you, but instead he opens the back door to grab a bag from the floor.

He catches the rather surprised look on your face and shrugs with a rather self-conscious smile. “What, did you expect me to lounge around in a suit all night?” he asks, reaching for you hand once he’s close enough.

You exhale a soft laugh, shrugging back at him then. “I dunno, I really didn’t really think about it, I guess,” you respond, giggling as you tug him toward the front porch. You’re fishing for your keys then, letting go of his hand once you’re close enough to unlock the door. As you fit the key into the lock, your hands are shaking from the feeling of having Jeff’s eyes on you, and you let out a soft breath of relief when you get the door open.

Jeff closes the door behind him once he’s followed you in, and he slips past you as you nudge your heels off easily. They certainly weren’t the most comfortable shoes, and you were glad to be out of them now. When you turn to Jeff, he’s still watching you, looking like he’s waiting for instructions on what to do next.

“I, uh..I’m gonna go get changed in my room. There’s a bathroom off the kitchen if you didn’t want to just disrobe in the living room,” you tease, taking a step toward him as you grin. He smiles back at you, nodding as he motions for you to come closer to him. It’s impossible to say no to that smile, so you step toward him, which only makes his smile widen.

“Hi,” he says, slipping his arm around your waist as he pulls you into him.

“Hi,” you repeat back, biting your lip in an effort to hide the eager groan that slid onto your face so easily as you looked at him. His hand is resting flat in the small of your back, and you’re suddenly feeling very aware of everything that’s happening as your heart races in your chest.

When his other hand comes up to cup your jaw, holding your face gently, your eyes drift closed as you relax into his touch. Everything’s still and quiet for a brief moment, then he’s kissing you, so soft and gentle that it makes your knees shake. Your hand comes up to grip the material of his suit jacket, half to pull him closer and half in fear that your knees would give out if you didn’t have something to hold onto.

It would be so easy to just give into the desperation that’s vibrating through every inch of you, but instead, you pull back before the kiss gets any firmer. Instinctively, you lick your lips nervously, and when you meet Jeff’s eye, there’s a darkness there that makes your core start to ache. Letting out a soft breath of laughter, just trying to break the sexual tension, you look away from him as you feel your cheeks burn.

“I’m really dying to get out of this push up bra,” you say, just blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. You need to put some distance between the two of you, otherwise you’re going to end up giving in to just how badly you need him.

Jeff blinks at you before cracking a grin, and he nods before untangling himself from you easily, motioning for you to take the lead out of the foyer with a laugh. You point him in the direction of the bathroom, then move as quickly as you can to your own room.

More than anything, you wish you had the time to take a cold shower before joining him in the living room, but you don’t. Instead, you take a few deep breaths after closing the door behind you, trying to at least bring your heart rate down. Eventually, you change out of your dress and that awful bra, tugging on a bralette, along with a pair of leggings and long sleeved shirt from college.

Tugging at the hems of your sleeves nervously, you return to the living room where you find Jeff stretched out on your sofa, clearly making himself at home. The remote is in his hand and from the looks of it, he’s trying to figure out how to turn the TV on. He’s in a Sabres shirt and grey sweatpants, of course, as if you weren’t already having trouble keeping his dick off your mind.

“You look cozy,” you say, grinning as you sit down in the opposite corner of the couch, already curling your feet under you. You’re trying to put as much space between the two of you as possible right now, and from the way he looks at you, you’re sure that he’s onto you.

“Yeah, it feels nice to be out of the suit, that’s for sure,” he says, grinning at you as he looks up from the remote. “And I bet you’re happy to be out of that push up bra.” His tone changes a bit and it gets a laugh out of you as you nod.

“Trust me, I am,” you tell him, hand coming up to push your hair out of your face as you pull a blanket into your lap. “You wanna keep trying to figure out how to work the remote, or do you want me to take over?” Your words come with a soft laugh as you grin at him widely, only to be greeted with an exaggerated eye roll out of him. He tosses you the remote a second later with a sigh of defeat and it’s taking everything you have not to laugh at him teasingly.

Silence settles over the two of you for a short moment as you turn on the TV and open Netflix, your eyes stuck on the TV before you glance at him. You find that he’s looking at you already, and you feel your cheeks heat up as you clear your throat. You’re about to open your mouth to speak, but he beats you to it.

“Why are you all the way over there?” he asks, sounding like he’s doing his best not to sound too needy.

“I dunno,” you respond with a quick laugh, pushing your hair out of your eyes again nervously as you force yourself to stare at the TV. “Just trying to behave, I guess.” Your own honesty surprises you and you let out a quiet snort of laughter that he echos a moment later.

“Come over here,” he murmurs, already sitting up slightly as he reaches to tug at your hand. It’s impossible not to give into him, and you both shift easily. He stretches out along the length of the couch and pulls you into his lap easily so you’re leaning into his chest.

It’s a lot closer than you’d anticipated, and you can smell his cologne and feel the warmth of his muscular frame through his clothes. You look up at him and he’s all grins as his arm settles around your waist comfortably. Your cheeks are flushed, you can feel it, and it takes a moment before you relax into him easily.

“That’s better,” he says softly, bringing a hand up to run over your hair before rubbing your back gently. Snuggling into him is so easy, and you can’t help but press your face into his chest for a moment and just nuzzle there.

“What do you want to watch?” you ask a moment later as your head rests against his chest, just wanting to have something else to focus on as you search for the remote again. He makes a sound of indifference and you scoff quietly, grinning to yourself as you scroll through the recently added movies idly.

From the way you’re laying, you can hear his heart beating in his chest, and you can feel the way his muscles move as he continues to rub a hand over your back idly. Eventually, he gives some input on what to watch, and after you press play, you lean to put the remote on the coffee table for safe keeping. When you move back to him, there’s some distance between your bodies as you lean over him, and he’s looking up at you as his hand slides over your waist easily.

You’re both silent for a moment, just looking at each other from this new angle, and before you can stop yourself, your eyes drop to his mouth. He mirrors your action, a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth before he’s leaning up enough to kiss you. It’s slow at first, and given the fact that you’re still hovering over him, it’s nice to still feel in control.

His hand settles in the small of your back again, this time holding the fabric of your shirt lightly in an effort to keep you close. The kiss is easy, light, but when he sighs quietly against your mouth, you let your body rest into his a bit more. You’re taking your time, knowing that you’ve got all the time in the world right now. Everything still feels so new, like you’re getting used to each other again despite the fact that you’d grown up together.

You’re starting to get stuck in your head about everything, you can feel it, but your mind goes blank when Jeff’s tongue drags along your bottom lip. The motion somehow takes you by surprise, and you groan into his mouth as his free hand comes up to hold rest on your jaw like he’s worried you’re going to pull away. Tired of holding back, you shift so you’re straddling him and he moves along with you, hands immediately gripping your hips.

The kiss deepens and his tongue slips into your mouth, making your clit throb between your thighs. You’re suddenly very aware of just how wet you were already, and it’s a struggle to keep yourself from rocking down against him. When your body tenses with the effort of staying still, his hand on your jaw moves to thread his fingers through your hair as he pushes it back out of your face.

He breathes your name, making you shiver, and a second later, he’s pulling back to look at you. His cheeks are flushed and his eyes are searching your face as you blink down at him.

“What is it?” you ask softly, licking your lips quickly.

“Nothin’, just wanted to look at you, I guess” he murmurs, a slow grin sliding onto his face as you roll your eyes at him.

Immediately, you’re leaning into him again, kissing him hard enough that he groans into your mouth. His fingers tighten in your hair, his nails just barely grazing over your scalp, and the hand in the small of your back moves higher, rubbing over the fabric of your shirt easily. Just when you feel like you can’t breathe, Jeff pulls away to kiss along your jaw, his breath hot against your skin as he moves down your neck.

You’re panting by then, biting your bottom lip as he sucks at your pulse point. Whimpering his name, your hand slides into his curls, and you give into your desperation for friction, your hips grinding down into his. The sound that leaves him does nothing to help the soothe the throbbing between your thighs, and you’re already turning your head to seal your mouth over his again.

Somehow, this kiss is even more heated, and both of Jeff’s hands move to your hips. He squeezes you there, letting his fingers just barely slip under the hem of your shirt as he pulls your hips down to meet his again. It’s your turn to whine, realizing then that his cock is half hard, and when he bites at on your bottom lip, you grind down against him again eagerly.

Jeff exhales a curse against your mouth, hands still tight on your hips, but this time, he’s pushing you back slightly. “Fuck, we need to stop,” he murmurs as he pulls back, chuckling a second later. You nod in response, grinning as you feel your cheeks flush. The face that his mouth is a little swollen is quite distracting, and you’re having trouble tearing your eyes away from his lips.

“Yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” you respond, despite leaning to press another soft kiss to his mouth. “We missed the beginning of the movie.” Your words are followed by a soft giggle that makes Jeff grin as he shrugs.

You shift so you’re not straddling him anymore, moving back to sit at the opposite edge of the couch, just until you’ve both cooled down. Jeff keeps stealing glances at you, and fifteen minutes later, he’s sitting up enough to reach for you, pulling you back toward him to rest against his chest. Committing yourself to behaving, you nuzzle into his collarbone briefly as you settle into him.

Your eyes are on the TV, but you’re hardly paying attention to the movie. With your head on his chest again, the sound of his heartbeat is relaxing enough that you’re having trouble even staying awake. It’s barely even 9pm, but you’re so cozy and Jeff is so warm. He’s rubbing your back idly and toying with the ends of your hair, even kissing the top of your head a couple times.

The sound of Jeff’s voice is what wakes you up, and as you come to, you feel him rubbing your back still as he says your name. When you stir, you grumble under your breath, turning your head to bury your face in his chest. The motion makes Jeff chuckle quietly as he pushes your hair back from your face. It seems a lot darker in the room now, and when you open your eyes and look at the TV, you see that the credits are rolling.

“It’s time to get up, baby,” he tells you softly, nosing at your hair lightly. You stifle a yawn into his chest as you nod, exhaling a heavy sigh a minute later as you sit up.

“Sorry I fell asleep on you,” you say, trying to smooth down your hair and hoping that you don’t look too terrible. Jeff only grins, sitting up to lean toward you before pressing a kiss to your shoulder.

“I don’t mind, trust me,” he assures you. “I almost fell asleep too, if that makes you feel any better.” His words make you smile and you turn your head to look at him, immediately leaning a bit closer so you can kiss him softly.

It’s not hard to tell that he’s holding back, not letting the kiss get too deep. You hate that you know you’ve got to say goodbye soon, and as your mouth easily against his, you take his hand, lacing your fingers together.

“Can you stay here tonight?” you ask quietly when he pulls back. You’re still leaning into his side, enjoying the warmth of his body.

“I wish I could,” he tells you, pressing a kiss to your forehead softly. “I’ve got an early practice tomorrow, and we’re heading to Chicago straight from there, and I haven’t even packed yet.” His words come with a soft laugh, and it’s impossible not to grin at him. The sleepy part of your brain wants you to beg him to stay over, selfishly wanting to just stay curled up with him all night.

“Shocking,” you tease, making him scoff before he kisses you again.

This time, the kiss is a little firmer, and his arm slips around your waist to pull your body closer to his. Your hand settles on the back of his neck as your mouth curves into a smile as you lean toward him. When you lick into his mouth, he makes a high sound that leaves you squeezing your thighs together. He pulls back a second later with flushed cheeks, and his eyes move over your face quickly.

“Yeah, I gotta go,” he says quickly, and the two of you laugh in unison as you nod. You both know that if he stay any longer, it’s just going to be harder for him to leave, and you’re the first to get to your feet.

Clearing your throat, you offer him a hand as you nod toward the door. He grins widely, taking your hand and pulling himself to his feet before pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

Jeff lingers with you in the foyer for a bit longer, stealing a few more kisses as you hold onto him. Your arms around around him as you lean into him, all but desperate to keep him from leaving as if he’ll be gone for longer than a couple days. When you finally let him go, he kisses you a few more times and promises to call you tomorrow before the game. The door closes behind him a moment later and you sigh, pushing your hair out of your face as you realize just how in love with him you are.

“You know what, just for this, I’m gonna return the birthday gift I bought you,” you tell her, doing your best to sound threatening. Her response is to scoff.

“What, I try to get you laid, which is something you desperately need, and that means I don’t get a birthday present?” she questions with a laugh. The first part of her words make you glance around, making sure there aren’t any young ears around before you respond.

“I do not desperately need to get laid, thanks,” you grumble, sinking a bit lower into your seat. Your words were a lie though and she knew it.

“Babe, did you not tell me two weeks ago that you were considering downloading Tinder again because you need to get laid?” Lydia’s voice has a knowing tone to it, and you ignore her question to take a drink of beer instead. When you glance at her a second later, she looks absolutely bemused by your silence. The two of you are quiet for a beat, then she speaks again. “You know I love you, right? Like, I just want you to be happy, and I’m sorry if this was too much or if I took things too far.”

Her words are genuine, and you glance at her and roll your eyes easily. “I know, it’s okay. I kind of needed a kick in the ass anyway,” you admit with a quiet scoff and a grin. You know Lydia’s smiling next to you, feeling proud of herself.

You’d be lying if you said the game wasn’t the most fun you’d had in over a year. With Lydia being a lifelong Sabres fan and her personality, you should’ve known that going to a game with her would’ve been an experience. Jeff scored. Twice, even. Each time, your heart had leapt as you jumped out of your seat. For his second goal, you were on your feet before Lydia.

The game went into overtime, and Lydia teased that you seemed more stressed than she was. It was probably true. You’d forgotten the excitement of the game, you’d forgotten just how good Jeff was on the ice. Your eyes had been on him the entire game, your heart swelling in your chest.

When the Sabres won less than a minute into OT, you were still tipsy enough that you were up and screaming, jumping around with Lydia as both of you laugh. As anxious as you’d been all night, as nervous as you were to see Jeff again now that the game was over, now you felt happy, warm inside.

Lydia’s leaving your row, starting to the stairs a moment later when you say her name, and she turns to look back to you with an expectant look.

“Since I didn’t say it earlier, thanks for tonight. Maybe I won’t return your present after all,” you tell her with a smile. She looks pleased with herself, she’s practically beaming.

“Well, you’re welcome,” she says with a nod, obviously trying to hold back her urge to gloat over the fact that you’d had a good time. “All I ask is that the two of you have an open bar at your wedding.” Her words are punctuated with a snicker then, the sound turning to a laugh when you nudge her with your elbow playfully.

In the main concourse of the arena, you hand Lydia your keys. You were surprised that she hadn’t tried to come with you to meet Jeff. When you mentioned that, teasing her, she scoffed and said with a wink that she wasn’t that invested before heading out of the arena.

Chewing on your bottom lip all the while, you followed Jeff’s instructions on where to meet him. Security stopped you along the way, and when you said who you were waiting for, they asked your name, then directed you down the hall. It turns out they’d directed you to a lounge, where you sat down on a sofa, trying to silence the nervous screaming in your mind.

You’d expected to wait for him in a hallway or something, so now that you were sitting on a plushy leather sofa, you’re anxious all over again. You hadn’t closed the door all the way behind you, because knowing your luck, you’d manage to lock yourself in somehow. Feeling antsy as you wait, you fish your phone out of your pocket and scroll through your social media, trying not to think about where you were.

A soft knock on the door startled you and you jumped to your feet, heart racing as the door open a bit more. Of course, it’s Jeff, and from the look on your face, it must’ve been obvious that the knock had surprised you. He’s grinning rather sheepishly as he steps into the lounge, closing the door behind him.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” he says with a soft laugh as he meets your eye. You shrug it off, a smile pulling at the corners of your mouth as he steps into the room a little more. “I know I’d said I’d meet you in the hall, but I figured you’d be more comfortable in here.”

Still smiling, you tuck a bit of your hair behind your ear. “Oh, yeah, this was fine, obviously,” you assure him with a breath of laughter. You wonder if he’s as nervous as you are. He seems to be keeping a bit of distance between the two of you, but he’s slowly moving closer. Your knees are shaking as you stand there, and he looks so good in his suit that it’s making it hard to focus.

There’s a pause between the two of you, like neither of you are quite sure that this encounter is actually happening. You’re both smiling and looking at each other, and eventually, he lets out a soft laugh as he shakes his head that makes you bite your lip.

“It’s really fucking good to see you,” he says, his cheeks a bit pink as he grins at you. His words make you goosebumps rise along your skin, and you nod, clearing your throat.

“It’s really good to see you too, Jeff,” you assure him with a nod and a warm smile. He looks happy to hear that, like he’d been worried you wouldn’t want to see him.

When he asks if he can hug you a moment later, you’re quick to nod, already taking a step closer to put your arms around him. He puts an arm around your shoulders to pull your body against his, keeping you close as your face presses into his shoulder. You can smell his body wash, his deodorant, and he’s so warm and familiar that it makes your heart flutter.

The hug was a long one, like neither of you wanted to pull away. He kept his arm tight around you, his chin resting on the top of your head. You wonder if he can tell that you’re practically shaking as you lean into him, the gravity of how much you’d missed him hitting you all at once.

When you force yourself to pull back, it’s only enough to look up at him with an almost bashful smile that he returns. A second later, he pulls away completely, clearing his throat as he gestures for you to sit down.

“You didn’t come to the game alone, did you?” he asks as you sit on the edge of the sofa.

You exhale a breath of laughter and shake your head as he sits down as well, putting the slightest bit of distance between the two of you. “No, uh, my best friend came with me,” you tell him and he nods as he listens. “She’s waiting in the car, charging her phone, or else I’m sure she would’ve insisted on coming down here with me. She’s a big Sabres fan, so she was a good person to come to my first game here with.”

The two of you talk for another ten minutes or so, catching up a bit. Jeff smiles at you the whole time, making it hard for you to concentrate on the conversation. You’re running on sheer adrenaline by then, and as much as you hate to leave, you’re exhausted, ready to climb into bed after the long day.

“Are you busy the day after tomorrow? Like, other than work?” Jeff’s question as you both stand takes you by surprise, and you take a moment to think about your plans for the next couple of days.

“I don’t think so,” you say, shifting your weight from one foot to the other.

“Do you want to get together for drinks and catch up a little more? At a bar or something this time, versus here at the arena.” He sounds a little nervous as he speaks, even letting out a soft chuckle, and a wide smile settles on your face as you nod quickly. You realize that he sounds more nervous now than when he asked you out for the first time almost a decade ago.

“Uh, yeah, I’d really like that,” you told him, still nodding. He looks relieved, like there was some possibility you’d say no. Jeff looked so happy that it made your heart hurt, and you wondered what he was thinking, how he was feeling. It was all so surreal still, just to be there with him after so long.

Jeff offered to walk you out to your car, and you really shouldn’t have expected anything less. You laughed though, told him if Lydia saw, he’d be stuck talking to her for the rest of the night. The two of you left the lounge, and before parting ways for the night, you hugged him again, quicker this time.

“I’ll see you in a couple of days, yeah?” he says, hand rubbing over your back slowly as he pulls away.

“Yep,” you respond with a quick smile. “I’m off at 5, so just tell me where to go.” Your words are met with a signature smile from his, and you’re not sure, but you think you see his eyes drop to your mouth quickly. You try to tell yourself that it didn’t happen, but that didn’t stop butterflies that were fluttering in your stomach.

The goodbyes were slow, like neither of you really wanted to leave, and by the time you make it back to your car, you’re not sure how you’re going to survive the less than 48 hours until you see him again.

“So, is there gonna be an open bar at the wedding or what?” Lydia asks, sitting up in her seat and reaching to turn the music volume down as you settle behind the wheel. Your head lolls toward her lazily as you roll your eyes and you exhale a heavy sigh, feeling utterly drained now that the evening was over. As always, she looks amused. “Hey, at least they won! It might’ve put a little damper on the reunion if they’d gotten destroyed out there.”

She’s trying to get you to smile, and it works. Lydia’s gotten good at being able to make you grin regardless of the circumstances. With another sigh, you straighten up in your seat and turn the vehicle on. You fasten your seatbelt, and after putting the car in reverse, you clear your throat.

“We’re getting drinks the day after tomorrow.” You pull out of your spot after glancing at her quickly. Her expression was hard to read, but she was smiling which was a good sign. A second later, she nods.

“Good.” She sounds pleased with herself and you roll your eyes with a bit of a grin.

The two of you decide to skip getting dinner, and instead go through a drive-thru for fries before heading home. By the time you’re in bed, you find yourself itching to grab your phone and text Jeff, but you don’t even know what you’d say to him.

That desire to talk to him certainly didn’t fade overnight, and by the time you got to work the next day, it was practically nagging at you. When you passed Lydia’s cubicle, you were far from surprised when she said your name. She had a nasty habit of distracting you for the first fifteen minutes of the workday. It was a welcomed distraction, and you guys decided on where to grab lunch that day before heading to you desk.

Work ticked away, and lunch comes and goes. Surprisingly enough, Lydia didn’t mention Jeff or the night before. Instead, the two of you had a nice conversation about the new season of Game of Thrones. A little later, back at your desk, your phone buzzes and when you glance at the screen, your heart leaps when you see that it’s a message from Jeff.

JEFF: i don’t know many places here yet, any idea where to go tomorrow?

The message makes you grin as you pick up your phone to type out a message.

YOU: yeah, i’ll send you an address later. Have a good game tonight! JEFF: okay 👍 thanks!

He responded quickly, then for a moment, he was typing. Your jaw grew tense when the bubbles vanish, but no message appears. For a few seconds, you keep watching before you force yourself to put the phone down and get back to work. Your focus only holds on your computer screen for about five minutes before your phone buzzed again, and it was another message from Jeff.

JEFF: how’s your day going so far?

The question is so simple, but it makes a grin tug at the corners of your mouth. You finish the sentence you’re typing before reaching for your phone. It’s small talk, but really, you’re just happy to talk to him at all. You tell him that you’re day’s been alright, that you’d had lunch with Lydia. He says that they’re on the plane to Nashville and that he’s watching Grey’s Anatomy to pass the time.

You text back and forth with him for the remainder of his flight, all superficial conversation. You’d forgotten how funny he is. At one point, you mentioned that you’d be watching the game from home that night, and he promised to try to live up to his performance the night before when he’d scored twice. Soon after, he said they were about to land, and tacked on a “talk to you later 👋“ and you knew that you weren’t going to be able to get any work done for the rest of the day after that.

Later on, you sent Jeff the link to a bar you and Lydia frequented just after the game started. The game...wasn’t pretty. You watched from your couch, grimacing every so often as you took sips of your beer. To distract yourself from the third period, you reply to a few work emails and do a little bit of reading, and you’re grateful when the game ends. You stay on the couch, too transfixed by your book to be bothered to move, and you don’t look up to watch post game coverage until you hear Jeff’s name he comes on screen for a post game interview.

He looks worn out, still in his jersey with his stick in hand. Losing had never been easy on him, and that had clearly never changed. He’s still out of breath and there’s sweat on his brow, and truthfully, it’s a little hard to stop yourself from outrightly staring at him. When it goes back to just showing the commentators, you clear your throat and reach for the remote to finally turn the TV off.

You stay up a while longer, quite comfortable on the couch as you continue reading. You’d had a little too much caffeine earlier, so you know that even if you try to get some sleep, you likely wouldn’t be able to. When your phone vibrates in your lap, you fish around the blanket for it, surprised to see a text from Jeff.

JEFF: 👍 what time are we meeting tomorrow? YOU: I’m off at 5, does 6 work? JEFF: sounds good 😁 YOU: see you then. have a safe flight home.

You put your phone in your lap, not expecting him to message you again, and turn your attention back to your book. Before you’ve even turned the page, your phone buzzes again, and you grin when you see that Jeff’s texted you back. He said he was ready to be home, and you asked what time they’d be back. You remembered that he didn’t like to talk about a loss right away, so you didn’t bother to mention the game.

The two of you settle into a conversation easily, and you forget all about the open book in your lap. He told you that he was exhausted, and you’re glad that he thinks it’s funny when you tell him that he’d looked it in his interview. Eventually, you move to bed and warn him that you might end up falling asleep on him.

It feels nice to talk to him again so casually. Before long, he tells you that they’re boarding the plane and that he’ll let you get some rest. He slips in that he’s excited to see you tomorrow and just reading the message makes your cheeks flush. Giddiness bubbles in your stomach, and you bite your lip as you respond that you’re excited too. A second later, and you tell him goodnight before reaching to put your phone on the nightstand.

You shift onto your other side and fluff your pillows, trying to keep your mind from drifting to tomorrow evening. If you started thinking about it now, you’d never be able to get to sleep. You had plenty of time to be anxious, so why start now if you could help it.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long to get to sleep, but the next day felt like it lasted an eternity. At one point, you truthfully thought that time was running backward. You were absolutely drowning in emails and somehow got pulled into a meeting that forced you to miss your usual lunch hour. When you finally got to grab lunch, you worked as you ate, trying to get caught up.

You finally make it to 5, and by the end of the day, you’re glad that you gave yourself enough time to pop home and change before meeting Jeff. Your nervousness had caught up to you as the day progressed, and changing into more casual clothes would help you relax. Parking in your driveway, you run into the house quickly and head to the laundry room. You change into jeans and a blouse and run your fingers through your hair, hoping you didn’t look like the nervous wreck you felt like.

Of course, you hit a bit of traffic, and you’re still a few minutes away when Jeff texts you to let you know he’s there. Finding parking was of course, a nightmare, but when you finally found a spot, you let him know you were on your way there.

You find him waiting outside for you, and when he sees you, a smile immediately spreads across his face. As always, that smile is infectious.

“Hey! How was work?” Jeff asks when you’re close enough, immediately pulling you into a hug. You’re a little surprised at first, but you relax quickly as you lean into him. Smiling softly, your arms wrap around his torso for a short moment before you pull back to speak.

“I survived, I suppose,” you answer with a grin as your hand comes up to tuck your hair behind your ear. You take the chance to look at him, and he thankfully looks more rested than he had last night. Meeting his eye, the two of you fall silent for a moment before you force yourself to look toward the door of the bar. “Ready for a drink?”

Jeff nods in response to your words, still smiling as he takes the lead. He holds the door open for you and you thank him quietly as you glance around the bar. It’s a little crowded, mostly with people that have obviously come straight from work.

“Do we want to grab a table or sit at the bar?” he asks, taking a step closer to you when someone slipped behind him in the entryway.

“Uhm, let’s just head up to the bar,” you say with a bit of an indifferent shrug, and he nods for you to go ahead of him and pick a spot. A grin tugs at the corners of your mouth, and you know he catches a glimpse of it. You can feel your face flush softly, making you grateful that your back is to him as you head over to the bar.

You choose a spot near the end of the bar and settle on your stool. The bartender greets you and you turn to her with a smile, ordering an amaretto sour. Jeff orders himself a beer after asking what they’ve got on tap, and when the bartender leaves to get your drink, his attention turns to you.

“So, work was rough today?” he asks, obviously making small talk. For a short second, you wonder if he’s as nervous as you are. The question makes you grin through, and you nod quickly.

“It just dragged, that’s all, and I felt like I worked every second I was there,” you explain, shrugging it off as the bartender returns with your drinks.

“How long have you been in Buffalo now?” Jeff questions a moment later, watching you as he raises his glass to take a drink.

“It’ll be three years in April,” you reply, biting your lip a second later while you stir the contents of your glass idly. “I worked for the same company in New York, and they offered a promotion that would require I move. It worked out though, because I’d been wanting to move closer to home. That was right after Logan and Grace found out that she was pregnant, so I’ve gotten to be there a lot to see Hazel growing up.”

As you speak, it’s hard not to feel self-conscious with the way Jeff is watching you. He’s listening to you in a way that no one else ever had, and it’s the same way he’s always listened to you. Your mom used to tease you that Jeff looked like he could never wait to hear what you were going to say next. It’s making your ramble a bit, and when you stop talking, Jeff is still grinning.

“Hazel’s really the best, isn’t she?” Jeff says, laughing then. You nod in agreement, know that your two year old niece is quite the character, and really, you’re not surprised that she and Jeff have met and got along.

“Have you gotten all settled in with the new city and the new team?” you ask, taking a sip of your drink.

You’d forgotten how easy conversation was with him, how easy it was to block out the noise of everyone else around you when the two of you were together. He talked for a bit about leaving the Hurricanes and getting used to playing with a completely new team. As always, he’s optimistic about the season, an it makes you so happy to see him doing so well.

The conversation is briefly interrupted when the bartender drops in to ask if you need anything else. As if on cue, your stomach growls, and you order some fries along with a hard cider as you finish off your first drink. Jeff asks for another beer and once the bartender’s walked away, he looks to you.

“So you’ve been here almost three years, and last night was really the first game you’ve been to?” he asks, looking rather amused. You know he’s teasing, and you scoff softly, shaking your head.

“Hey, don’t feel so special,” you tell him, raising your eyebrows at him quickly as you swirl the ice around in your empty glass. “I didn’t even know we were going to the game until we were in the parking lot.”

Jeff claims he doesn’t believe you, and of course that makes you laugh before you offer up a simplified version of the story. Instead of clueing him in on the fact that Lydia had all but tricked you into going to the game specifically to see him, you say that going to the game had been a last minute surprise.

When the bartender returned with your fries and drinks, Jeff helped himself to your fries, just like he always had. You scoffed in mock disbelieve and looked at him, only to be met with a sheepish grin and a shrug.

“Old habits, I guess,” he teases, earning a laugh out of you as you roll your eyes.

“And here I thought being a professional hockey player might have taught you some manners or something,” you respond, raising your eyebrows at him quickly. It’s his turn to roll his eyes at you then, already grinning.

“As if you weren’t going to offer me some anyway,” he tells you knowingly, reaching for his beer. You know he’s right, that his habit of swiping your food had stemmed from how often you offered him some of your food when you guys were younger.

Certainly, that only added to the surrealness of the fact that you were sitting there with him now after so long. Somehow, it felt like no time at all had passed, like you could so easily still be teenagers. He still looked at you the same way, though now it felt like his gaze was lingering here and there.

The two of you stayed at the bar for a while, not only catching up but just talking, enjoying the fact that you’re both in the same city for the first time in so long. Neither of you really brings up the past. He talks about his teammates and his game, you talk about Lydia and your job, and the only odd thing about any of it is remembering that you’re both adults now.

Time passed so quickly that before you realized it, it was after 8, meaning the two of you had been sitting there talking for over two hours. After a second hard cider, you switched to water, and it came as no surprise that between the two of you, you’d completely emptied the basket of fries in front of you.

When you both decide that you should probably head out, it comes as no surprise that Jeff pays for your drinks and the fries. He’d done the same thing at that diner over Christmas years earlier, and at the very least, it was nice to see that he was consistent. When he laid the cast down, he had a grin on his face that tells you to not even try arguing with him over the check.

As you’re leaving the bar, Jeff keeps close to you, offering to walk you to your car. When you step outside, you’re realize that the temperature had dropped a bit, and you’re quick to zip your jacket up.

“I bet you didn’t take the cold into account when you came to Buffalo,” you tease, seeing Jeff shiver as you started toward the side street where you’d parked.

“Yeah, I should’ve gone to Miami or something,” he responds with a grin, nudging you gently with his elbow. Your smile matches his and you nudge him right back, stealing a quick look at him.

When you get to your car, both of you linger a bit, standing there in the cold like you’re not ready to say goodbye for the night. If it was warmer, you probably would’ve stood there at your car for another hour, but instead, you’re both kind of toeing around the idea of leaving each other already.

“What’s your schedule like for the next couple of weeks?” you ask, your hand finally on the door handle. You hadn’t opened it yet, still not fully committed to leaving.

“Uh, we’re on the road a bit, but I’ll let you know, yeah?” he says, eyes dropping to where your hand is on the car. He takes a deep breath, like he’s realizing that it really is time for you to go your separate ways for the night.

“Yeah, I’ll see you soon,” you tell him with a nod, taking a step forward so you can hug him.

This hug is tighter than before, your face pressing into his shoulder. His body is warm against you, and your heart swells when you feel him press a kiss to the side of your head as his hand rubs over your back. He repeats what you’d said, that he’d see you soon, his voice quiet and warm as you lean into him. You actually sigh softly when you pull away, a small smile on your face as you finally open the door of your car.