#nosho

“Taylor...let me just start by saying that there is no other place I would rather be in the entire world, than with you right here, right now.”  

“Hey Shoresy,” You sighed,  trying to reply in an unamused tone.  You knew your ex, and you knew that if you showed an inch, he’d try to take a mile, “nice of you to show up.”  

“Can’t you see that I’m just completely taken by you?” he asked, “like I’ve never known a feeling like this.”  

“You tell me that every time you see me, you goof!”  

He smiled, “still makes you smile!”  

“Sluts assembled?”   

“Why are we doing this here when we could be over at seven-star dumpling house?” he asked, “let’s go for some bibimbap.”  

“Because I know that you’d try to take my panties off there.”  

He smiled even more, a mischievous glint in his eyes, “how do you know I wouldn’t try to take your panties off here?”  

You smirked, choosing to ignore the playful, flirty comment, “how do they feel about never losing again?”  

“How do you feel about it?”  

“Oh, I don’t care.”  

“That’s a lie,” he chuckled, “your mom left you and Nat the clubs and the barn.  We fold that’s one less thing on your plate.”  

“It’s the only thing sucking us dry, Shoresy.” you pointed out, “everything else is profitable.”  

“Oh, you are an absolute stallion!” he smiled.  

“You’re a horse face.”  

“A horse face you had three kids with!” he smirked.  You felt the butterflies welling up in your belly as you thought about your sordid, yet exciting history with him.  How he still managed to make you feel like a teenager was beyond you, “you know, I won’t rest until I’ve gotten even a shoulder pat from you, again.”  

“Been a long time since a man’s gotten anything from me, Shoresy.”  

“I know...last thing I got from you was Wayne,” he grinned, “three-way tie for the best thing in my life aside from our other two kids.”  

You shook your head at him, “you’re too much.”  

“You ever just been sitting across from someone, trying to have a normal conversation, while fighting every urge inside yourself to just scream out ‘yeah’ !”  

“Shut the fuck up, Daniel!” you giggled, unable to keep your straight face any longer.  

His grin widened at your response.  He knew he got you with that one and he felt the need to keep pushing his limits, “well I’ve never let myself be so vulnerable with anyone before you.  It feels amazing.”  

“You are a lot, dude.”  

“God, I’d be good to you!”  

“Yeah?” you asked, feeling the need to stop it before it went too far.  You pulled out the big guns with your own comment, “which time are we looking at when you promise me that again?  After which kid, Shoresy?”  

He frowned, “that’s not fair, and you know it.”  

“You say all these sweet nothings, but you’re the same old slut you’ve always been,” you shrugged, pushing yourself away from him emotionally, “famous for wheeling two of his friend’s moms in Letterkenny.”  

“First of all, we weren’t friends, and they were wheeling me,” he pointed out, “and we were on a break.”  

“Yeah...” you nodded, sucking on your teeth, “well, I’ve got to get going...let me know how the next game turns out.”  

“Wait?” he asked, “You’re not coming?”  

“Like I said, Shoresy, I don’t care.” you said, getting up, “text me the score after...or you know...wait for Wayne to tell me.”  

“You’re missing out...”  

“I’ll keep telling myself that.”  

“Wait...where are you going?”  

“One of the sisters is babysitting Wayne at the barn,” you said simply, “she said she’d take him skating for me and in return, I’m gonna spend some time there doing inventory.”  

“Wait...so you’re gonna be at the barn?”  

“Not with you,” you smirked, “last time we had ‘alone time’ at the barn, and you were helping me...you helped me get pregnant.”  

He smirked, “you can’t say that wasn’t the funnest thing you’ve ever done on the ice.”  

“Go play with your sluts, Shoresy!” you laughed, rolling your eyes at him.  

“So how was your meeting with Shoresy?”  

You frowned at your sister, “you did that on purpose.  You know damn well me and you could have easily had that conversation without him.  I see the game that you’re playing at, and I don’t approve of it, Nat.”  

She smirked as she looked at your son, who was tuckered out and snuggled up between the two of you on her couch, “come on...we both know he was excited about that...and deep down, I think you were a little excited too.”  

“Oh, fuck off, Nat.”  

She smirked even more at your comment and played with Wayne’s hair, “hey, at least you sat down and had a conversation with him.  I know lately you haven’t even been able to be in the same room as him.” 

“And by lately you mean since I got knocked up with this one!”  

She smirked, “I’ll give you that, you two make cute babies...he’s an annoying fuck, but none of them are ugly or stupid, so that’s a huge win.”  

“Daniel’s always been cute...shut up!”  

She rolled her eyes at you, “whatever you say, Tay.”  

“Hey Nat...”  

“Hmm?”  

“Do you really think we’re never going to lose again?” you asked.  

She frowned at your question, “why are you asking me that, Taylor?”  

“We do what we say we’re going to do!” you reminded her.  She raised her brow and you continued, “mom loved the club.  We love the club...”  

“I just want bums in seats,” she sighed, “I remember when we were  young, and it was all anyone could talk about to be at a game on a Sudbury Saturday night.  I remember running down those stretches of halls and navigating between throngs of people...losing you in a crowd if you got out of my sight.  The excited cheers from all the fans...”  

You teared up as you looked down at your son.  

You sniffled as your hand ran down his side, “it scares me sometimes that he’ll never get that experience.  I mean, Tessa and Dani had it...we had it...”  

“We do what we say we’re going to do, Tay...”  

You looked up at her again and bit your lip, “getting the chance to mull over the possibility of the team folding, scares me, Nat...”  

“It scares me too...” she admitted, her own tears welling up in her eyes, “mom always put every bit of love into us, and that barn...the club...it is home...but it hurts so much that it’s like this now...”  

“I know...”  

“When mom passed,” she admitted, sniffling herself, “you had the kids...Shoresy...I-I didn’t have anywhere to put my love.”  

“Nat...”  

“No, it’s true, Taylor,” she sniffled, a few tears running down her cheeks, “you have the kids...Shoresy didn’t leave your side...but I-I'm alone.”  

You reached out to your big sister and took her hand in your own, “Natalie...you’re never alone...you have me...”  

“You were in your own grief,” she admitted, “and I wasn’t going to add to it...that’s why when I started seeing that therapist...I-I needed to figure out where to put my love...”  

“And you put it into the club...”  

She scoffed bitterly, “I guess that’s why it’s going belly up...” 

“Nat...” 

“Everything I love always-” 

“Stop...stop that thought process right now, Nat...” you said quickly, cutting your sister off, “I’m not going to let you talk about yourself like that.  And I’m not going to let you think that the club drying up is your fault.  Four years ago Danis and the girls took over running the NOSHO.  They started fining all the teams and players that they didn’t agree with.  All but four teams folded.  That’s not on you.  They changed the game.  You and mom and Daniel are the last people fighting for the old way...the way that hockey should be played, you hear me?”  

She scofffed again, sniffling more as she wiped at her face, “that why the barn is still empty?  Because people don’t want the old way anymore?”  

You squeezed your sister’s hand in your own, “Nat...Daniel will bring us back...”  

“You don’t really believe that, do you?” she asked, “I’m throwing a hail mary here...I’m reaching.”  

“That’s why I have to believe in it, Nat,” you admitted tearfully, “it scares me beyond all belief, but if there’s one person in this world that I trust, it’s you...and if there’s one man who I know will go beyond what’s asked...who will fight for everything in him...it’s Daniel...this could work, Nat...”