#nz91

Power Outage

Request: yes / no

Summary: a snow storm blows through Vancouver knocking out the power in your’s and Nikita’s shared home. A previous time before left a situation to be settled.

Warnings: use of y/n, pet name usage, (sunshine), friends w feelings, angst?, cursing like once, unedited (I had to rewrite this THREE times. I’ll edit eventually)

Word Count: 1.82k

It had been snowing all day and way into the evening. The sun was already setting over the house across the street making a pretty orange and pink sunset. The view of the snow outside from the front bay window looks just as beautiful as the sunset. The street lamps were already on and casting a soft glow over the solid white blanket on the front lawn. Your roommate, who is also your best friend, is supposed to be getting home any moment now. Nikita has been away in Edmonton with his team for a roadie. The team had arrived back at Rogers a little bit ago. Knowing he has to swap out his equipment and then drive in the mess that is Vancouver right now, you’re trying to keep a calm mind about what is taking so long.

Feeling your phone buzz in the pocket of the massively oversized sweatpants you’ve swiped from Za. “Hey Za, you on your way home?” You ask as soon as you answer. “Hey sunshine. Yes I’m on my way there now. I was calling to tell you to start a fire. The power is out over near the arena. It’s only a matter of time before the house loses it too. This snowstorm is a mess.” His voice was so soft yet each word held a distinct sense of strength, as if he was trying his best to not make it seem like a command. He had a habit of sounding like he was telling everyone to do something when he was only talking with just the tone of his voice. Something he tried to hone back on with you. You nodded your head as if he could see you through the phone. Quickly correcting yourself. You agreed to his suggestion and offered to heat up leftovers. Hanging up the phone you started fiddling with the fire as you told him you would, as well as starting with heating up some food for him. Watching the plate turn around in the microwave your thoughts started to over take you.

“Sunshine, your fingers are turning pink. I know you’re cold.” Nikita grabbed the hand closest to him. “Why are you trying to act like you are completely fine when clearly you are freezing?” He asked a bit tiffed that you were sitting silently with painstakingly cold joints. “What else is there to do Za? I have layers on. We have a fire going and I have my quilt.” You say pointing out each for emphasis. He ran his hands over his face before getting up off the floor and walking over to the entryway of the house. He returned with a pair of gloves. “Put these on (y/n).” You looked up at him, trying to read his face. His tone of voice didn’t match the story his eyes were telling. His voice was rough and forceful but his eyes were pleading. “Now.” He added as you hadn’t moved to take the gloves from him. As if he was in control of you suddenly, you jumped and were quickly shoving the gloves on. He returned to his position in the floor pulling you in to his body. “I can’t have you freezing to death next to me.” Your heart was pounding. He was only supposed to be your best friend, your roommate. A platonic relationship but when he did things like this your heart beat so fast it wanted to explode. “If you froze to death, the sunshine in my life would disappear forever.” “Nikita, you can’t say things like that to a girl.” You tried to swallow down the emotions dwelling inside you. The things he made you feel when he talked as if it was just the two of you and only the two you for each other. “I’m serious. If it wasn’t for you, I’d have no light in this crazy world I chose to live in. The dream I dreamt of for so long. I need you here (y/n).” “Za. Please don’t say things like this. It can confuse a girl when you have her in your arms as a friend to keep her warm because the power in their shared home is out. But when it comes back on there will nothing more behind it but their friendship.”

The beeping of the microwave ending its cycle pulled you back to reality, snapping you out of the memories that oh so often haunt you. The beeping of the microwave ending its cycle pulled you back to reality, snapping you out of the memories that oh so often haunt you. Just as luck would have it the power cut off, and the front door swung open with a thud.

“(Y/n)?” Nikita called from the entrance way. “It’s just me.” He adds. Another thud comes. Presumably his bag.

“You’ve got this, it’ll be okay.” You tell yourself under your breath.

You felt your way back to the main room where you would have a source of light from the fire place. “Hi Za. Welcome home.” You met him near the doorway and gave him a hug. Greeting your best friend just like you always do when he returns home from road trips. “You were right, the power just went out as you were coming in. It’s going to get cold in here fast even with the fire. I did heat you up some food though. It’s still in the microwave for you.” You told him pointing to the kitchen where his food still was and covering yourself up as a chill ran through you. “How about I help you out and take your stuff up to your room, you eat before it gets cold and we can’t warm it back up, and then we can hang out down here?” You suggested. Desperate to get your blood pumping and away from the epicenter of your thoughts for a few moments. Grabbing his travel bags, doing your best to haul it up the stairs but failing in the end. “(Y/n/n) leave it there, I’ll eat and then grab it. I’ll need to change anyways. Go layer up so you don’t get too cold.” Humming in response you completely dropped his bag and headed up the stairs as fast as your legs would take you.

Conceding to your frustration of not being able to find a hoodie to fit comfortably over your long sleeve and t-shirt, you decided to ask Nikita. “Hey Za, can I come in?” You called from the hall giving a knock on the door. No answer. “Za?” You called out again pushing the door open. He wasn’t in his room. You popped right in and swiped one of his Canucks hoodies with 91 and Zadorov on the back. Heading back across the hall to grab your quilt and your pillows before heading down the stairs. “Remember (y/n) you can do this.” Telling yourself for reassurance as you bottom the stairs not seeing Nikita at the edge of the sofa. “You can do what?” Nikita asked slowly moving his eyes up and down your body, taking in that you are now dressed in his hoodie and his sweatpants. “Hyping myself up to not nearly freeze to death this time.” Tossing the blanket down then your pillows before settling down on them. Nikita had already pulled the blankets from the couch down to the floor sitting on the floor himself. “(Y/N) I think you and I both know you’ll end up freezing regardless of hyping yourself up. You get cold in the middle of summer.” He says with a chuckle almost as if it’s a joke to him. “Well just trying to avoid last time from repeating itself. We nearly ruined our friendship.” You pointed out before you could even stop yourself.

Nikita was holding eye contact with you after your words tumbled out of your lips. His face showed nothing but pure pain and shock. “Za I didn’t..” “No it’s fine.” He cut you off. “I was trying to put everything out there then, but someone wanted to think the worst of me.” He shrugged his shoulders while moving away from you, the furthest he could while still being near the fire. “Nikita. I really didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. Now or then. I was protecting myself and I didn’t think there was any way possible you could’ve meant any of that beyond friendship.”

You never looked up from where your hands were fidgeting in your lap until you heard him scoff loudly. “Seriously? We were laying in this exact spot by a fire. You were lying on top of me I was holding you, running my hands up and down your back to help create heat out of friction. Plus I was telling you that if my sunshine froze to death the light in my life would disappear and you thought I didn’t mean it past a friendship?” He was shaking his head in disbelief. “That is why you kept saying I would confuse a girl?” He couldn’t believe that for the last four years he was the one who had been living in confusion, not technically you.

You knew what you wanted and you wanted him. He wanted you, but had spent the last four years thinking you thought he was some playboy. When in reality he had been pining for his best friend the entire time because of his own confusion. You were trying to calm your heart from its erratic pounding. “Nikita. Please I said I was sorry.” Closing your eyes to hold back the tears threatening to form and fall. He couldn’t believe any of this. He was elated to find out you felt the same way.

lots of Marchand jerseys tonight too, myself included (he’s the only jersey i’ve got, and if/when the time comes i MIGHT get his panthers jersey… love the player hate the team right?)

Zadorov has slowly inched his way into my heart throughout the season, but tonight solidified it. i love him as a Bruin. ended up getting a Zadorov t-shirt at the end (and a Marchy pennant)! not sure i’m ready to commit to a jersey yet… once i get paid again lol

don’t mind my screaming. i had a really fun time at this game, plus the small pro shop haul. shout out to whoever rung up our items, they saw the Marchand pennant and just nodded and gave us an “as you should”, very beautiful moment 😂