#tysontuesday

To be honest, AJ was missing some of her old friends. The world can feel so small with the internet, bringing people together digitally, but it’s just not the same as in person. AJ missed seeing Jess. It’d been months since they were in the same space, meeting up back in February in St. Louis. She missed Nate. She missed some of the other friends she made in Denver during her brief time there.

“I was thinking maybe talking to Jess, and as soon as she could, maybe a couples’ trip with her and Nate? Like maybe they come up here, or we go out there, or… we meet up somewhere? I’m not sure yet. I hadn’t really asked her either, but I know she’d be down. The only hindrance at the moment is…” AJ got quiet, realizing what she was going to have to say, “Nate’s still in the playoffs.” 

AJ cringed at having to say that, considering how last season went. Thankfully, Tyson’s work on himself last summer and this year with family and a sports psychologist really helped his mental game. He nodded in understanding, and didn’t even flinch. Buffalo made a good run at the playoffs, but just came up short. It was going to whole new level for the team next season, so right now, his feelings were not hurt by the statement.

This time, it was Tyson that got a little quiet, chewing on his lip for a minute before responding.

“I’m sorry I hadn’t brought it up sooner, but a few of the guys are talking about heading down to Hilton Head, kind of an end of season guys trip,” Tyson sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck, “We’d be leaving Monday.”

“It’s okay, you know I’ve got plenty going on here, besides, it’s not like my plan can happen quite yet anyway. But would you be interested, if they are?”

A smile broke out on Tyson’s face, followed by a nod. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss to AJ’s temple. 

“Yeah, that sounds like a blast. You’re the best babe!”

AJ chuckled as Tyson skipped off to the bedroom. Looking around the living room, kind of lost in thought, she grabbed her phone.

AJ: Would you and Nate be up for some shenanigans this summer?

Not even a minute had passed before AJ’s phone was vibrating in her palm.

Jess: We’re in.

***

AJ got used to Tyson being away on roadies, and she always found things she could do that she enjoyed while he was gone. Eating food that he didn’t like (or shouldn’t eat, and likely, she probably shouldn’t eat either), sprawling out in bed, listening exclusively to her music, staying up late and watching cheesy movies… stuff like that. It was nice to have AJ time. 

But truth be told, AJ missed Tyson while he was on the guys’ trip. He was checking in multiple times daily (and getting absolutely roasted for it), but it didn’t make up for the little things she was missing, like him wrapping his arms around her midsection as she’d chop vegetables for dinner, swaying to the music they had on in the kitchen. The random notes that would be written in the steam on the bathroom mirror.  The way Tyson would pull AJ in as the little spoon, mumbling incoherently as he drifted off to sleep.

Even the kinda gross things, because, let’s face it, Tyson’s a guy, AJ missed. The way Tyson would burp after chugging a protein shake. How he’d stick his stinky sock feet in AJ’s face when they were laying opposite each other on the sofa together. The occasional facial hair clippings littering the sink in the bathroom. (Although that was just more irritating than gross.)

AJ was simply missing Tyson.

After cleaning the kitchen up from breakfast, AJ headed to the hobby room, and flopped on the sofa, where one of Tyson’s hoodies was thrown on. Rolling over, she reached up over her head and grabbed it, spying which one it was. It smelled faintly of his body wash as she inhaled, sighing into it. Although not really cold, AJ put it on and fell asleep in a somewhat warm embrace of his hoodie.

The buzzing of her watch urged AJ to open her eyes as a certain someone was wanting to FaceTime.

A very groggy looking AJ appeared on Tyson’s screen.

“Hey baby girl, I didn’t wake you up, did I? Is… that my hoodie?”

AJ rubbed her eyes and looked down, and back at her phone camera with a smile.

“I suppose it is. I was napping but I really shouldn’t be if I want to get to bed at a decent hour tonight. What are you guys up to today?”

Tyson told the tales of going golfing and hanging out at the beach with the guys. All the different restaurants they stopped at. But there was something a little off about how he was acting, but AJ couldn’t put her finger on it.

Finally when he stopped talking, AJ piped up.

“You good?”

Biting his lip, Tyson put his thoughts in order before opening his mouth.

“I mean, yeah, but, no. It was weird, last night we went clubbing, and the guys were pairing off with girls they met there, and there were two that wouldn’t leave me alone and…”

AJ’s heart was pounding hard, worried about what might be said next.

“... I had to just get out of there, I took a Lyft back to the house. I… just miss you.”

The breath AJ didn’t know she was holding came out in a gasp, and Tyson caught the tear coming down her cheek. It wasn’t her intention to get emotional, but it hit her hard. And seeing AJ tearing up, made him get teary-eyed as well, but he wasn’t sure why she was to begin with.

The dam broke.

“I miss you too babe, so much,” AJ just let the words fall out of her mouth without a filter, “It just hasn’t been the same here without you. You make my world better.”

Tyson was wiping his eyes, trying to act like he wasn’t crying at all when one of the guys came by him asking if he were about ready to head out. 

A mumbled, “Yeah, uh, I’ll be just a minute, no, my allergies are acting up or something, I’m good,” was overheard, before he looked back at his phone. “Hey, we’re heading out for another course, call you tonight before bed?”

“Of course. Go kick some ass on the green! Love you.”

“Love you too, talk tonight,” Tyson blew a kiss at his phone.

AJ “caught” it and smooshed it on her lips before ending the call.

Now wide awake from that unexpected conversation, AJ sat up and started thinking about what she could do to fill some time between now and this evening when Tyson would call. There was only so much cleaning she could do around the apartment to ease her racing mind, so she grabbed her tablet and started looking at vacation spots, texting Jess along the way.

AJ: Would you guys like to come up here? I know it isn’t fancy like Denver is, but there is so much cool stuff to see and do here, really! 

Jess: Hmm… I’d be down, but I’m thinking we should get away from EVERYTHING. Mexico has been calling my name here lately, I miss it.

AJ: I’ve never been. I’m looking up some places though. Cancun looks fun, and there seemingly is a lot to do around there. Ooh, they have a big art museum nearby, that sounds good. And Chichen-Itza and Tulum aren’t terribly far either.

Jess: You’re forgetting margaritas and all the amazing food!

AJ: Yes, that too! lol

AJ could feel Jess rolling her eyes at the choices of things she wanted to see. That was the funny thing too, if Nate had heard what AJ was saying, she was pretty sure he too would be rolling his eyes in the same way. Those two really are perfect for each other.

As the afternoon and evening went on, texts were sent back and forth about potential places to stay. It was just going to be a game of figuring out WHEN, with Avs in the playoffs, and knowing Tyson, he probably already had a summer packed with things to do. AJ knew that he was planning on heading out to Edmonton, and had mentioned something about maybe working out with some trainers in Vancouver for a bit. Tyson was never one to really stop and relax somewhere for an extended amount of time, other than with his family whenever he could.

The planning texts were interrupted by a facetime with Tyson, who seemed far more chipper than he did previously.

“How was golfing? Your nose looks a little pink, shoulda worn more sunscreen,” AJ joked, knowing he always gave her shit as she was pasty white and burned within minutes in the sun.

“It was good, shot five over, not bad for a course I’d never played on. Yeah I got a bit of sun today. Thankfully we’re heading out tomorrow. You still picking me up from the airport? I get in around noon.”

AJ looked panicked, looking at her watch, then back at her phone screen, seeing Tyson’s face contort into concern. 

“You are picking me up, right? I mean, I can get a ride with one of the guys, but…”

The giggles couldn’t be contained, and fell out of AJ’s mouth. 

“Of course, goof, I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I haven’t seen you in like a week,” she grinned, “Besides, I found a new burger place I want to try, figured we could swing by on the way home.”

A wave of relief washed over Tyson, knowing he was going to get to see AJ as soon as he got out of the airport. AJ then saw Tyson squint a bit, and roll his eyes after his phone buzzed. Quirking her eyebrow, he could tell she was wondering what was going on just by the subtle movement.

“The rest of the guys went back clubbing again tonight.  It’s just not as fun, not without you here. I just didn’t want a repeat of last night, it just felt… wrong. In fact, I just got called an old man for turning in early. I’m not going to feel like shit on the plane at least.” 

The two chuckled, and continued talking for a bit, until it was evident Tyson really did get a bit of extra sun and he was pretty wore out, getting sleepier with each new topic that was brought up. After a few minutes of being disgustingly cute and sending kisses to each other, they finally ended the call.

Tyson laid in bed, still feeling awkward about the previous night, despite nothing actually happening. It did occur to him just how much he and AJ complemented each other. Dancing with random women in a bar no longer was exciting. He’d rather dance in the kitchen with AJ. Taking a woman back to his hotel was the furthest thing on his mind, unless that woman was AJ. 

“Maybe I really am turning into an old man!” he thought to himself, as a smile crept up on his face as he drifted off to sleep.

AJ woke up late the next morning, relaxing in bed, completely sprawled out, for one last time before Tyson would be back. Spending an hour scrolling through Instagram, she finally got up, got a shower, and a quick breakfast before grabbing a small baggie from one of the cabinets in the kitchen and heading out the door. AJ and her black Soul hit the road, heading to the airport.  

Once the car was parked, AJ headed inside, outside of the security area. Looking around, AJ saw her target… and it wasn’t Tyson.  With a smile and a wave, she headed over to Karma, whose ears perked up when Ann waved back, asking if Karma knew who was coming.

“Hey Karma, who is a good girl? IT IS YOU!!!” AJ scratched Karma’s ears before giving her a treat from the bag. “Hey Ann, how is it going today?”

So who are Karma and Ann, you might ask? Karma is an adorable, frosty-faced Jack Russell Terrier/Beagle mix, and Ann is her owner. Together, they patrol the Buffalo Niagara International Airport as a therapy dog team. Most dogs you see in airports have patches on their harnesses saying “SERVICE DOG, DO NOT PET”... but Karma has a bandana on that says “PLEASE PET ME!” AJ met them earlier in the year during one of her trips to see Tyson on the road, and had since become friends with the human/canine duo. Ann always asked how Tyson was playing, and Karma always was up for a belly rub as the two would chat. Today, Ann was in for a treat, she’d never actually got to meet a professional athlete despite all her time at the airport. 

Finally, coming out of the secure area, Tyson spied AJ sitting on the bench petting a dog.

"AJ found the only pettable dog in the whole place, that's so her!"  Tyson thought to himself, smiling the whole way to her.

Putting his bag down, Tyson found AJ already clinging her arms around him for a tight hug.

“Hey Tys, this is Ann, and…”

Before she could even say anything else, Tyson was already leaning down petting Karma’s head.

“This must be Karma, I’ve heard so much about you already from AJ!” Tyson leaned up and shook Ann’s hand, “And you too, it’s nice to meet you!”

Ann was usually chatty as all get out, but she was in awe of the Buffalo Sabres player standing before her. Finally breaking her out of the spell, Ann finally was back to telling stories and giving advice on where to go get dinner for the night. After gabbing for a few more minutes, and a few more treats for Karma, AJ finally convinced Ann that there were probably more passengers and airport/airline staff that could use some Karma pets and kisses. Everyone parted ways, with AJ promising she’d be back soon to see them again.

Walking hand in hand to the parking lot, AJ posed a question to Tyson.

“So what would you think about going to Mexico?”

AJ on the other hand, was busy working on trying to figure out the logistics of everything, which indeed include talking to a few guys on the team, as well as their significant others. The thought of starting a group chat came up, but it would seem weird if a few guys’ phones buzzed at the same time, yet Tyson’s wasn’t. For now she had to keep it separate.

Quinner: He’s asking again. Do I say anything?

AJ: He’s such a brat. No, not yet. Play dumb.

Quinner: Can do. What’s the word on my gaming rig?

AJ: Just waiting on the GPU to arrive, which is slated for tomorrow. It’ll definitely be ready when you all get back.

Quinner: Awesome

AJ went back to working on a PC on her desk, when her phone started buzzing again.

JJ: Guess what

AJ: I already know, apparently he hit up Quinn earlier. You have no idea what he’s talking about.

JJ: Got it 

Sighing, AJ finally decided to give some sort of hint to Tyson so he’d quit annoying everyone. She waited an hour or so before sending out any crumbs of info.

AJ: Alright Jost, your birthday is tomorrow. It will be celebrated at a later date. Stop asking your teammates for clues (winking emoji)

Tyson pouted as he and the rest of the team were on their way to the arena, but was grinning on the inside knowing that AJ was up to something. Not only that, but she also was finding her footing more in Buffalo, getting out and about, meeting new people - not just his teammates, but WAGs, and just a few people she’d see around the neighborhood often. 

When Tyson was on a roadie, and the weather was decent, AJ would walk down the street and snag a Beef on Weck from Charlie the Butcher.  (This was probably her favorite Buffalo thing so far, she’d never had anything like it prior to moving there.) She’d sit at one of the tables in the lobby and people watch as she enjoyed her sandwich. A few people from the offices would come down at lunch time and start chatting.

AJ started recognizing some of the employees at the local market. She even started going to a bowling alley, getting picked up to sub for people missing on teams every once in a while on league nights. Feeling more comfortable being around strangers, she realized that some of her meds were finally starting to do their thing again.

Braving a bit of rain and snow, AJ finished up her lunch, and headed back. After checking the tracking on some computer part orders, she sighed and looked around. Something clicked in her head after scanning the living room, seeing the pile of laundry she needed to fold in the basket. Through the bedroom and into their walk-in closet, AJ found herself looking through her own clothes, and sliding hangers around of Tyson’s clothes as well. Grabbing a specific hanger, she dropped the garment on the bed. 

Rummaging around in her dresser, AJ grabbed a pair black Culprits and tossed them on the bed. Pulling a couple bags from the closet, she set up her tripod and camera, making sure the memory card was not full. Lamps were moved around. Pulling up an app on her tablet, she set the scene, making sure she’d be in the shot correctly. 

With a quick wardrobe change, finding poses that were sexy but still classy, and not ridiculously silly. were kind of difficult. AJ would tap the screen on her tablet, and try to pose quickly before the timer ran out. Locations were moved, to the living room, and the kitchen. After about an hour and a half, she gave up, having exhausted all of her pose ideas. A few minutes were spent editing each photo. Finally AJ gave up.

AJ: I need your help with something. Tomorrow’s Tyson’s birthday, right? I shot some photos for him while he’s on the road but I need help picking out which ones. So awkward.

Jess: Send away! 

With a deep breath, AJ picked her top 10.

AJ: Alright, I might throw in silly too, but pick  your top… 5.

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Jess: Oh, wow, Tyson’s going to LOVE these! I’m going to say 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9.

AJ: You don’t think 7 is too much?

Jess: Nooooo he’s going to be all over you when he gets back (winking emoji)

Truth be told, AJ started daydreaming of Tyson striding through their front door with that determined, almost primal look on his face that usually happens after a roadie, or when Tyson was just in the mood. Being gently pinned up against whatever surface was nearest to them at the time was a common occurrence, with a few minutes of intense making out sometimes leading to more. It wasn’t uncommon to find a trail of clothes leading to the sofa in the living room or toward the master bedroom, which had to be retrieved later.

Tyson hadn’t even been gone two days and AJ was suddenly missing him a lot, longing for his touch, his facial scruff against her cheek. The feeling of his arms wrapping around her from behind as she cooked dinner… She sighed at the thought of laying in bed, arm around her as she rested her head against his chest, fingers playing with his small patch of chest hair. This was just as torturous to her as it would be for him.

It hit her at that point that they literally spent a month apart at one point, and she survived. A few more days wasn’t going to be the end of the world.

Thankfully, a shipment of computer parts came the next day, and AJ was going to be occupied the rest of the week… But not before sending Tyson a little impromptu birthday present.

Tyson’s birthday started with a few texts from family, and one from AJ wishing him a good birthday. But compared to the others’ texts, AJ’s had a bit more mystery to it.

AJ: Happy Birthday to my Maple Syrup Man! I hope you have an amazing day. While it’s not your actual present, I have something for you later. 

Tyson: (thinking emoji) What is it?

AJ: Patience babe - you’ll get it tonight (winking emoji) Love you!

Tyson: Love you too! 

With that little nugget of intrigue planted in Tyson’s brain, he was getting antsy as the team was traveling to DC. A group of the guys were taking him out to dinner when his phone buzzed in his pocket.

AJ: Hey Birthday Boy, message me when you’re free. And preferably alone. (winking emoji)

Finishing up installing the new graphics card into Jack’s computer, AJ was starting to fidget and get nervous regarding what she was about to do. As she started cleaning up the cables inside the case, her phone buzzed loudly against the table.

Tyson: Everyone just left, in my room by myself. So… what’s so important that I be by myself for? 

It was time to draw this out to make him get a little more curious.

AJ: I just wanted you all to myself. How was dinner? Did you get cake? Or pie, as it is Pi Day?

Tyson: Dinner was good, had a pretty good steak. Now why do I need to be alone?

AJ: Cake?

Tyson: YES CAKE WHY DO I NEED TO BE ALONE? You’re driving me crazy over here!

AJ: I’m driving you crazy now? Just you wait… (evil imp emoji)

For good measure, AJ waited another minute or two before setting up the text with the photos.

AJ: Happy Birthday, babe <4 attachments>

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Tyson’s jaw dropped when he opened the photos, finding AJ in various poses, wearing Tyson’s Sabres jersey and showing the smallest hint of her black boycut Culprits underneath. His brain definitely started short circuiting seeing AJ in the kitchen cooking, lounging on the sofa, one cute photo on the bed… but the last one of her on the bed definitely got his heart racing.

Nervous of how he’d react, AJ nearly dropped her phone when Tyson was trying to facetime her. She accepted the call.

“Holy smokes, you’re killing me over here babygirl…” Tyson’s eyes were dark. “I can’t wait to get back home… but at least I’ve got these photos to tide me over.”

AJ blushed heavily.

“This isn’t your actual birthday present but I thought you might enjoy them.”

“I’m going to be up for a while thinking about that last one, and definitely enjoying it. Might have to make that one my home screen on my phone,” Tyson got quiet for a moment. “It’s my birthday, and since you’re not here and I don’t get to have birthday sex ON my birthday, but… what would you think about maybe… over facetime, you and me? I mean you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but… it might be fun?”

The smirk and biting of AJ’s lip was the only thing that Tyson needed to know. It was always amusing watching him go from adorable and almost shy, to straight up feral. She saw him reaching for his earbuds immediately, and could hear that his voice lowered when he made his next request.

“Put the jersey on.”

And because this is a classy joint, let’s just say that AJ and Tyson had a rather exciting evening doing things that are… less than classy. (But fun.)

AJ woke up exhausted the next morning. She couldn’t even imagine how Tyson was feeling… but after watching the game, it might have been just what he needed as he scored an unassisted goal in the first period. 

Finally at the end of the week, after a tough loss to Philly, Tyson was on a flight back to Buffalo and could not possibly be more antsy about getting back to the apartment. Texts were sent as soon as he landed, as soon as he was on the road, and one from the garage that he was on his way upstairs… requesting that AJ was in the jersey (again).

Just as she imagined earlier in the week, Tyson opened the apartment door, dropped his bag in the laundry room, and immediately strode into the kitchen to find AJ wearing little more than that Sabres blue jersey as she was getting a glass of water to take her nightly pills. Barely letting her swallow them and put down the glass, Tyson had already twisted AJ around to face him, lifting her onto the countertop.

AJ yelped in shock of how cold the surface was against her legs.

An intense kiss was shared, but Tyson was impatient. He pulled AJ down off the countertop, grabbing her hand and leading her to the bedroom. Unwrapping his favorite gift was the only thing on his mind that night.

With no practice scheduled in the morning, the couple lounged in bed, finally getting up late in the morning to seek out some brunch. The conversation over waffles was about what was coming up in the next week for both of them. Tyson had a number of home games, with one interruption of a quick trip to Long Island for a game there. AJ talked about how she was meeting up with a few new clients to work on setups for. The big thing she emphasized though was that the following Sunday (not tomorrow), Tyson needed to keep his night free. Yes, it was his birthday present, and no, she was not going to give hints. Also she pleaded with him to not ask his teammates any more questions. 

The week was kind of rough on Tyson as he’d been scratched a couple of games. AJ was taking it harder than he was, but she couldn’t help but have flashbacks of his time with Minnesota again. Thankfully he was playing again by the end of the week. She showed up to the game against New Jersey, and watched as the team warmed up in their Military Appreciation sweaters. It’d been a minute, but AJ forgot how good Tyson looked in green. (To be fair, AJ thinks Tyson looks good in all colors, really.) The team was super intense during warmups, and barely did Tyson kiss his glove knuckles and tap the glass as he skated by AJ. Had to keep the tradition up though.

The next morning, Tyson headed to practice, and then off they went to NYC for their game against the Islanders that night. AJ spent her day finalizing plans and making sure everything would be great for Tyson’s present the next night. Reservations were made. Random texts were sent to not ping the entire group chat at once. It was a GO.

With a 2-0 win, Tyson got back relatively early, coming home to AJ watching KSU playing in the NCAA tournament.

“I didn’t know you liked basketball?” Tyson questioned as he unloaded his backpack from the super short trip.

“I don’t, but it’s where I went to school, and actually was working there before Nate convinced me to move to Denver. Just kind of a nostalgia thing I guess. First year in quite a while that KSU has had a decent team.”

Tyson flopped down onto the overstuffed sofa next to AJ, stealing a few pieces of popcorn from the nearly empty bowl. Unfortunately, the Wildcats just couldn’t come back from their point deficit and lost in the Elite Eight. Tyson had curled up and fallen asleep across her lap as she was playing with the short curls on his head in the last few minutes of the game. His features were serene as he snored lightly. Unfortunately though, because she wanted to go to bed, AJ was going to have to wake him up.

“Tys..” AJ whispered to not jar him awake, “Tys, babe, you gotta get up so we can go to bed.”

His eyes stayed closed as he mumbled something unintelligible.

“Tyson, hon, really we gotta get up, my foot is falling asleep.”

More mumbles, followed by Tyson burying his head harder into AJ’s lap, wrapping his arms around her torso. Clearly he was awake and faking it this time. His body shook a little as he laughed. Rolling off her lap, he sat up and sleepily smiled. Suddenly his eyes went wide.

“TOMORROW IS MY BIRTHDAY MAKE-UP!!! YEAAAAH! The sooner we sleep, the sooner it gets here!”

You’d think it was Christmas the way he was acting. Tyson ran to the master bedroom, and ducked into the bathroom to get ready for bed, leaving AJ just rolling her eyes at the absolute kid of a man she had. But it was one of her favorite things about him… he was an adult when he needed to be, but like her, wasn’t going to grow up otherwise if he didn’t have to. 

That early Sunday was rough on Tyson. He went to the optional skate, antsy as hell in regards to not knowing what was going on. Kyle had texted AJ letting her know that Tyson was still sniffing out clues, but everyone was shutting him down. Both Kyle and Danielle were helping AJ put this all together, she probably wouldn’t have been able to orchestrate the entire thing. Thankfully there was nothing really physical that could be left out for Tyson to see, other than maybe a text message here or there… but AJ was doing pretty well keeping her phone on silent and on herself when Tyson was being snoopy.

AJ clearly caught him when he got home from practice, seeing if there were any signs of fun that was to be had that evening. After a quick nap, Tyson found AJ getting out of the shower (which was difficult keeping him from climbing into the shower with her, but they would definitely be late for the plans). She wasn’t getting super dressed up, just some jeans, a tee, and a warm hoodie. He finished up his shower as AJ put the finishing touches on her hair. Putting down the diffuser, she did offer him some advice.

“Put on something warm, let’s go for a little walk.”

Tyson squinted as he grabbed his Nike SB hoodie from the closet, pulling it over his wet curls. Grabbing his hands, AJ pulled him in for a quick kiss. 

“C’mon birthday boy, let’s go!” AJ giggled as she pulled Tyson to the door. 

The two walked hand-in-hand on Main Street, swinging their hands as they strolled past the Ellicott building, past Tesla Park, past Lafayette Square. 

“Are we going ax throwing?” Tyson questioned, as they neared Hatchet & Hops.

“Nope, just a bit further!”

AJ wasn’t kidding when she said just a bit further, they stopped just past it, in front of a restaurant front blasting music. Opening the door, she led Tyson into Misuta Chow’s. The hosts greeted them.

“Has anyone for the Toasty Josty party arrived?”

“Ah, yes, this way,” the host led them to the back where tables and chairs were marked with reserved signs. 

Tyson immediately recognized a few teammates and their significant others. Cheers for the birthday boy were abound as the couple sat down. A few more people showed up. Dinner and drinks flowed, including a special birthday mochi for Tyson. But the fun was just beginning, as the party moved upstairs to the arcade/bar/karaoke night.

It’s not surprising that the first person to get on the mic from the group was Skinner, not surprisingly an 80s pop song. There were a number of the group that went up and took their turn belting out a tune. Some were surprisingly good! Some were much better after they had a shot or two. Some… were just bad. Video games were played. Lots of smiles and laughs were had.

“Tys, you should go sing!” AJ prodded a bit, as they played Mortal Kombat against each other.

Tyson bumped his hip against AJ’s as he mashed buttons on the arcade cabinet making a combo that nearly took out AJ’s character.

“No thanks, but I know someone that has a beautiful voice that should go up there…”

AJ lost focus on the game as she blushed a little, and Tyson plunged his character’s sword into hers.

“Fine, but only because it’s your birthday, Josty.” AJ winked.

When it was her turn, AJ did a quick shot (and cheered on by the guys) as she took the mic, clearing her throat. Her eyes closed as she took the mic in her hand, the opening guitar notes of Mazzy Star’s “Fade Into You” playing throughout the bar. A little unsteady at the start, her voice found its footing as her eyes found Tyson’s. The softest of smiles graced his lips as AJ’s voice flooded the room. A few surprised looks went her way as they were not expecting her to sing that way. Whoops and applause happened after she put the mic back on the stand at the conclusion of the song. AJ’s face turned a number of shades of pink to red as she quickly got to her security blanket of Tyson with his arm around her. 

A few of the bar-goers, friends and strangers alike  came by and high-fived or complimented AJ. Tyson just beamed next to her, especially when his teammates and friends said something.

“You know, that’s how I fell for her, she was singing while fixing, what was that thing again in the dressing room?”

“Access point.”

Tyson continued, “Yeah, Access Point. She was on a ladder, singing with her headphones in, and I was last off the ice, taking a shower and headed into the dressing room. Her siren song had me hypnotized in the doorway. And she twisted a bit to do something, saw me… and that's when she first fell for me… literally, down the ladder a bit. And as awkward as we both were… that’s when I knew she was the one.”

Tyson pulled her in and kissed the side of her head. 

“Aww, babe, you never told me that last part. But wow, you left a LOT out of that story, that’s probably for the best,” AJ grinned.

A few “That’s so cute!” and “Adorable!” exclamations came from the significant others.

A few more songs were sang, more video games were played, and maybe another drink or two were had. AJ was definitely a bit more tipsy than Tyson, but he also had a game the next day and was behaving. Calling it a night, Tyson thanked everyone for coming out, and thanked AJ (who thanked everyone else for helping) for putting on the party. 

The walk back home was pretty chilly, with a drizzle falling all around the couple. Tyson insisted on holding AJ’s hand to keep it warm, as well to make sure she stayed upright in case some of the drizzle had frozen on the sidewalks. Back at their building, he stole a kiss in the elevator ride up the twelve floors, which still tasted a bit of Jolly Rancher shots. Tyson pulled AJ in tight.

“Good birthday? You’re a hard man to shop for, you know that?”

“No I’m not!” Tyson defensively shot back while tickling AJ as she opened the door to their home, “But this was definitely one of the best.”

But more about the apartment, as soon as AJ took Tyson to see it, he knew that was the one. The property manager hadn’t even shown them past the first two rooms but the giddiness on AJ’s face was enough to tell him it was going to be home, at least for now. The master bedroom was huge, with an en suite bath, including both a shower and a bathtub. 

(“No more waiting for you to get out of the tub so I can shower, yeah?” 

“You’re just as guilty of soaking in a nice hot bath. Don’t think I didn’t notice the missing bath bomb from my basket.” 

“Can’t prove it was me.”

“Your legs and torso were slightly shimmery and you smelled of lavender, Jost.”

Tyson sheepishly grinned.)

There was a guest room in case friends or family came into town. Another room that AJ could set up her computer gear, and also work on some art projects. The two figured that a sofa would be super comfy in there as well, one that could turn into a bed for even more guests if necessary. The kitchen was more than large enough for the two of them to dance while doing dishes. 

AJ’s favorite part was how many windows lined the walls. She already could envision stands and shelves of plants flanking them, letting the leaves soak up the natural light that flooded the rooms through various hours of the day. To the west, Key Bank Arena and Lake Erie were visible in the distance.

Hearing of her plans, he couldn’t say no. On top of it making AJ happy, it was a short drive to both the practice rink and the arena. It was a trendy, renovated part of town that was busy with restaurants and things to see and do. They’d be up high enough on the twelfth floor to not be bothered with the street noise. It all just felt right.

Needless to say, they signed a lease that day, and would be able to move in within weeks. This posed a small issue for AJ, but she wasn’t going to make mention of it. At least this time around, Tyson insisted on hiring movers to bring all their stuff up, especially with it being on such a high floor. AJ would just have to direct traffic and then unpack boxes, with all the heavy stuff being put into place already. She wasn’t about to argue about that this time around.

With a loss at home against Florida, the team hit the road for Chicago, losing in OT to one of the league’s worst teams. The next two games were at home, against the Islanders and Ducks. The first game was a win, with Tyson netting himself an assist. The next day found Tyson at practice, and AJ helping the movers get furniture put into place, and boxes all loaded up into various rooms. The remaining items at the hotel were starting to dwindle as AJ moved most of their belongings over.

Coming back from practice, Tyson found the hotel room missing AJ as she was in the process of moving some stuff the few blocks over to the new building. He sighed, looking at the garland and lights that still lined the ceiling of their room. Gently he pulled the hooks from the walls, looping the lights and shiny garland neatly and placing it in one of the empty bins. He honestly was going to miss it at the new place, even though that very same new place was home. 

Even when AJ came back to pick up more stuff, the lack of twinkling lights reflecting against the walls made the place feel empty.

With most everything moved over, the last few things in the room were just pillows, a few sets of clothes, and the last few items needed in the bathroom. AJ had made mention it was going to take a while to get some stuff unpacked, and with Tyson going on the road here in a few days, that maybe they could officially “move in” once he returned. Her outward intent was to get most everything unpacked while he was gone, but that was going to be a little difficult as she actually had some plans already in the works for something else.

The two slept hard that night in the hotel, after moving and unpacking a few boxes, as well as rearranging some furniture. The next morning, AJ was back at it, while Tyson had morning skate before the Anaheim game. Taking some time off, she snagged a ticket and made her way to the arena to cheer on the Sabres with a 6-3 victory. Tyson had a pretty good night, another assist and some pretty good numbers in the box score.

One final night together in the hotel… AJ had issues keeping Tyson focused on getting packed up for the four game roadie, which would send him to Dallas, St. Louis, Winnipeg, and ending in St. Paul. Tyson’s interests were more about some late night shenanigans to literally go out with a bang before officially moving into the new apartment. While getting his backpack filled and his suit laid out for the trip, AJ was trying to secretly pack her own backpack, giving the reason of “oh this is my last bag of stuff to go over.”

Little did Tyson know that, while technically true, that bag was going to be making some of the same stops on the roadie.

That Sunday morning, Tyson had morning practice before heading to the airport. In the same time frame, AJ go the last of their stuff moved from the hotel, and she herself headed to the airport, boarding a different plane. She felt awful for what she was about to do.

AJ: Hey babe, I’m pretty exhausted and am going to crash for a bit. Text me when you land?

She wasn’t lying. The motion sickness pills she downed as she got to the airport were kicking in and she likely was going to sleep on the plane. But all the same, AJ felt a little dirty about it.

Right before takeoff, AJ’s phone, which was supposed to be in airplane mode (seriously, who actually puts their phone in airplane mode when flying?), buzzed in her hand.

Tyson: Sleep well babe, only a few more sleeps until we’re both back in our bed. Heading to the airport here in a bit. Ily

A smile hit AJ’s face, thinking about having a space that was truly theirs, with their own things, and room to move around, and could set up everything the way they wanted. As the plane took off, she fidgeted with the engagement ring on her finger, focusing on it, rather than the upward movement of the plane that made her dizzy. Once at cruising altitude, AJ indeed fell asleep to one of Tyson’s house mixes. It took the passenger next to her tapping her on the shoulder to wake her up as they were landing at DFW - what felt like minutes later, but really was hours.

Collecting her bag and trekking through the airport, AJ found her way to the Orange Line, and took the train into Dallas. It was a quiet day on the train, considering it was not a weekday. Watching out the windows, she took in views she’d never seen before. Hopping off at Victory Station, which spit her out right by the arena, leaving the rest of the way to her hotel as about a half mile walk. Checking in, she made her way to the third floor and faceplanted on the bed.

Tyson: On the ground in Dallas. Miss you already. How’s unpacking?

AJ looked around and saw her bag sitting on the ottoman in her room.

AJ: Honestly haven’t really unpacked much. Kind of relaxing at the moment honestly.

Tyson: Understand completely, no big rush. I think we’re going out for dinner. Talk more later?

AJ: Of course. Have fun! (heart emoji)

Looking at her watch, AJ was trying to figure out what to do with her evening. She didn’t want to chance somehow bumping into Tyson going out for dinner, but at the same time, everything nearby was stupidly pricey in her eyes. In a last minute decision, she put in an order online for Shake Shack, and walked to Crescent Court to pick it up. Thankfully, unlike the last time AJ was at Crescent Court with Jess the year before, there were no team buses or players around. With food in tow, she arrived back at her hotel, sprawling out on the sofa to enjoy dinner and a movie. 

It was driving her nuts though knowing Tyson was maybe a mile away, but she’d see him soon enough.

With a few texts, both insisted they were needing sleep, and that they’d talk more Monday.

Snagging breakfast at the hotel, AJ contemplated what to do before the game that evening. Checking out what was nearby, she walked to the Dallas Museum of Art, taking in a wide variety of pieces by famous artists. At the same time Tyson was a half mile away getting ready for morning skate, with a strange feeling. He couldn’t pinpoint what it was, but something definitely felt odd.

Tyson missed AJ, but it wasn’t the same as other roadies. He had butterflies in his stomach for some reason.

After finishing up at the museum, AJ got in a nap before getting cleaned up and heading to the arena. There were a surprising number of Sabres fans at American Airlines Center. Getting down to the glass on the Sabres’ warmup side, AJ knew where Tyson would be warming up. She had a tiny sign that would fit in her backpack she traveled with.

The fans congregated together, chatting about where everyone was from and who everyone’s favorite players were. While she agreed that Thompson and Dahlin were great players, AJ made mention that Tyson Jost was her favorite. The guy with the kid next to her looked at her weird, but another person piped up, commenting on what a great pickup he was for the Sabres. It made her heart happy.

Looking around the end of the ice, there were a number of other signs for players, including a couple more for Tyson. Impatiently waiting until the 16:00 mark was tough for AJ, but the team took to the ice tossing pucks at Anderson playing in his 700th game. Her eyes followed Tyson around, where they did their initial drills. Tyson went to the other side of the glass, reading a poster another fan had, offering a choice of candy, probably for a puck. He skated back to the bench with something and tossed it to the equipment manager before grabbing a puck and starting his own stickhandling drill.

Not even paying attention, he drilled the puck into the boards directly under AJ’s feet and caught the rebound on his stick. Looking up, he saw a small poster, and then looked up even further to see who was holding it. The smile on his face couldn’t be contained as he skated closer, mouthing “Hey you!” as AJ gave a tiny wave. Leaning down, he got a puck on his stick and sent it over the glass to the kid directly next to her, fist bumping him through the glass. The butterflies in Tyson’s stomach from earlier now made sense.

The guy who previously looked at AJ weird for saying Jost was her favorite tapped her on the shoulder.

“What was that?”

“We’ve known each other since he played for Colorado. Thought I’d surprise him at the game.” AJ chuckled.

With warmups complete, and in fact, Buffalo stayed on the ice longer than the warmup clock lasted just to get under the skin of the Stars, AJ found her seat behind the Sabres’ bench. Luckily it was filled with other Sabres fans and she made some new friends that night. The game started off not so great with the Stars scoring within the first two minutes, but the Sabres fired back later in the first. The game went silent in the 2nd, but in the third period, the Sabres scored early to have a 2-1 lead. Later in the period, the Stars tied it up. Throughout the game, Tyson glanced back finding AJ cheering for the team in white and blue.

The Sabres held on to take it to OT.

“I’m standing up,” Dan, AJ’s new friend sitting next to her, stated. “With our top lines out there 3-on-3, this isn’t going to last long. We’re standing up.”

Everyone stood up behind the bench, which pissed off the row behind them, but it was well worth it. Power scored fifty-six seconds into the overtime period, giving the Sabres the win. The Sabres fans cheered, while the Stars fans were left sulking as they walked the stairs to the concourse of the arena. The team piled into the dressing room, and headed for the airport as they were to play St. Louis the next day.

Tyson: EGGO you’re crazy for flying out here! I love you for it though, made my night.

AJ: Crazy about YOU! Fun game. Wish I were flying with you tonight.

Tyson: Me too. When do you fly out?

AJ had to word this very carefully.

AJ: My flight is at 11:15. Figured I could at least score some breakfast before I leave (lol emoji)

Tyson: Text me when you land? We’re taking off.

AJ: You know it babe. Safe travels, love you!

AJ was asleep when the next text hit her phone, of Tyson landing in St. Louis. He was glad she seemingly slept through it. As much as he still loved getting to say “text you when I land” and then doing so, he always felt a little pang of guilt if she’d text back at 3am wherever she was in comparison. At the same time he did enjoy some of her sleepy text typos, and imagining her bleary-eyed in bed texting him back.

What did wake AJ up was her alarm so she would make it downstairs to, yes, get breakfast, pack up, and take the train back to DFW. Not thinking fully about the weather when she packed, as soon as she took a few steps onto the sidewalk of Harry Hines Blvd, it started raining, and she did not pack her umbrella. Walking under overhangs as much as she could, which was tough around the arena because there aren’t any, AJ was becoming more and more soggy as she reached the train stop. Thankfully she made it just in time for the Orange line back, and sat back as it poured down rain the whole way to the airport. Once through security, she sat next to a window with a mint hot chocolate from Dunkin watching the rain.

A quick text was sent as she boarded the plane, and was finally in the air. A bit later, she was on the ground again. AJ’s Lyft driver was awesome, the two chatted the whole way from the airport to her destination. However, that text she said she’d send was a little delayed.

AJ: Hey, on the ground. How was your flight?

Tyson: It was alright, got in around 1am like you saw. Yours?

AJ: Not bad. Hoped I’d get some sleep but didn’t. Oh damn it’s almost time for you to get ready to play, isn’t it? Kick some ass tonight, Jost. (heart emoji)

Tyson: Only because you said so. Going to miss you in the stands, last night spoiled me.

AJ: You’ll see me soon enough. I’ll be watching the game, cheering you on!

Tyson stared at the last message, getting that odd feeling he had in Dallas again.

“Surely she isn’t here… no… she went back home, right?” 

A few of the guys in the dressing room noticed how antsy Tyson was to get out onto the ice for warmups. Kyle was giving him shit for the fact AJ was in Dallas to surprise him the night before, and how he was acting like his kids do when they are excited to be going out for ice cream. The feeling in Tyson’s stomach wasn’t subsiding. He was fidgeting with the tape on his stick waiting for the moment they could take the ice. 

Keeping his normal focus was difficult as warmups began, and he started scanning the glass. There were a number of fans, both for the Sabres and Blues already lined up. With a deep breath he went back to doing drills, trying to push the butterflies down. Okie skated up along the boards and stopped, looking back and winking at the person behind him.

As the team drills wound down, Tyson went back toward the center line doing some stretches, when someone caught his eye. Squinting, suddenly his eyes went wide as he continued warming up his legs. Hopping up, he grabbed a puck to do his drills between the blue line and the faceoff circle. 

Finishing up, he attempted to get the puck to hop onto his stick blade, but he missed not once, but twice. Looking up, his face was a little flushed as he smiled at AJ, still fumbling around. Reaching down, trying to just simply pick up the puck with his gloves, Tyson still was struggling. Finally with the puck in his hands, and his face now full on blushing, he got the puck over to the kids slapping the glass next to her. With a look back and wink at AJ, he felt like the luckiest man on Earth that his fiancee was at the game again, even if she weren’t behind the bench this time around.

There were definitely less Sabres fans at this game in St. Louis than in Dallas, but AJ made the best of it with her #LETSGOBUFFALO sign as she sat behind the Sabres Attack Twice goal. What made it even better was the 5-3 win over the Blues… especially with AJ’s history with games in St. Louis. 

What made the night less stellar was that St. Louis was under a winter storm warning until noon the next day, and AJ’s flight was leaving the next morning at 5:40AM, with her Lyft coming at 3:10AM. She was terrified of one of three things happening:

She was going to oversleep, the original plan was actually to stay awake until her ride arrived.

Her ride was going to cancel and she would have no way to get to the airport on time.

The airport was going to shut down due to the weather.

Thankfully none of these happened, and she did in fact make it to the airport in time. After getting through security (being harassed by a rather rude TSA agent that thought she had something on her ankle, which, surprise, there was nothing but her ankle there), she made her way to Starbucks to snag a drink and prepare for the first of two flights. The snow was really starting to come down though and made her worried.

Just like Tyson’s gut was telling him something the previous few days, her’s was now talking to her.

Tyson and the team had flown out of St. Louis after the game thankfully, and he was safe on the ground in Winnipeg.

Knowing he was asleep, AJ just sent a quick note that she was at the airport, indeed going back to Buffalo, as much as she wanted to continue the roadie with him. She was nervous about the weather, hoping to make her connection as she was already delayed 40 minutes. The plus side, the flight wasn’t full and she ended up getting her own row on that flight.

On the ground in Dallas again, she was stressing hardcore about the connection, it was in a completely different terminal. But the flight deities smiled upon AJ that day and somehow getting out of the jetway and down the hallway, she found herself in Terminal B, right near her gate that had not yet started boarding.

AJ: Made my connection, heading home to Buffalo. (heart emoji)

AJ finished yawning before she smirked, “Seriously is this the first time you noticed them? They’ve been that way since you got home yesterday, goof.”

Catching her deep inhale, Tyson continued thinking about the bears. He could see AJ’s movements slowing a bit, the fatigue she had talked about coming to the surface.

“Hey, you want to go take a nap? It’s been a minute since we’ve taken one together. No funny business, I promise.” 

Looking away from the wall she was marking, AJ saw Tyson leaning against the doorway of their bedroom with his arms crossed over his chest. A smile overtook his face.

“What’s got you grinning like that?”

“I was just thinking about the last time I was in a doorway, admiring a pretty girl on a ladder. The one I’m looking at now is a lot more graceful, and is much better at playing it cool.”

AJ stuck her tongue out at Tyson, then sighed, climbing down off the stepladder. Putting her tools in the toolbox on the counter, she shook her head and smiled as she shuffled toward him. Grabbing her hand, he led her to the bed, where he kept his word about no naughty shenanigans. Instead, he pulled back the sheet and blankets, letting her crawl in. Finally comfy and curled up with her body pillow, Tyson slid in behind AJ, pulling her in close as the little spoon. 

Before he could even get comfortable, Tyson heard the soft snores from AJ already drifting asleep. With a kiss on her shoulder, he snuggled in, ready for an overdue nap. 

Unfortunately, it was short-lived as AJ’s phone blooped with a notification of a new email, stating her lab results were ready. Frantically opening the email, she clicked on the portal link to pull them up. Tyson asked if it were okay for him to see, if she was comfortable with it. As AJ nodded, he looked over her shoulder as she scrolled through the different tests and numbers.

The good thing about this is that the results gave info about what the numbers should be, and where hers were in comparison. The bad news is that by reading the report without a medical professional explaining it, they could only glean so much information from it. The report had a green box if the number was good, red if it were bad. 

For the most part, everything was good… there were a few things that were minorly bad… and one section that was brutally bad.

Trying to understand it all, AJ figured out her iron levels were severely low. Not just like “Oh thats kinda low.” Like “holy crap how are you alive?” low. The odd thing though was that her red cell counts were great. She was iron deficient, without being anemic. She remained quiet, trying to make sense of what she was reading, until Tyson heard her huff.

“I guess now I wait to hear back from the doc… it is what it is, right?”

Tyson hugged AJ tight against him. “It’s fixable. I bet the doc will have an easy answer. Let’s not worry about it until you hear from her, okay?”

AJ nodded, but it still was unnerving, since it was happening to her. But she was going to just have to be a patient… patient. And thankfully, when she needed it, Tyson was the calming presence she needed, even though he seemed to be a chaotic ball of energy at times. He pulled her phone back out of her hands, and set it on the nightstand behind her. Gently rolling AJ over to face him, Tyson loosely held her close until he felt her body relax in his arms as she fell back asleep. He watched her slightly stir after he pressed the lightest of kisses to her forehead.

“We’re going to get you feeling better, I promise.” Tyson whispered.

While AJ snoozed, Tyson quietly snuck out and put one of his plans he devised on the previous roadie into action. Finding the bin he was looking for in the guest room, he grabbed the stepladder and a few other odds and ends on his way. Quiet as a mouse, he scurried around in a different room, and you couldn’t pry off the smile that was on his face. Once finished, he took a look at the space, and felt triumphant.

Sneaking back into the bedroom, he gingerly crawled back into bed, doing his best to not rouse AJ. He failed, unfortunately, but that was okay, it was getting close to dinner time. If she had slept much later, she would have been up all night. A few more minutes of quiet cuddling happened, when Tyson finally piped up.

“Dinner?”

AJ sat up and thought a few moments as she rubbed her eyes. Hopping up, she headed to the kitchen to see what could be made up. Grabbing a tomato, zucchini, garlic, and mushrooms from the fridge, plopping them down on a cutting board. Tyson made himself at home in one of the chairs at the island, watching AJ looking for a few particular ingredients. She pulled a box of Banza from the pantry, quickly followed by a bottle of olive oil. A little cream cheese, butter, and parmesan came from the fridge. Finally, AJ had Tyson toss her a lemon from the basket of fruit in front of him.

The vegetables were chopped, tossed in a little olive oil and placed in the oven. Tyson hopped up and got the kettle put on the stove with some water and salt, waiting for it to boil. After the pasta was added, AJ finished up a few little things like zesting a lemon, and getting her measured dairy products ready. After the pasta was drained, a drizzle of oil was added to the pasta, along with the cheeses and butter, as well as the lemon zest, stirring until the pasta was coated in the sauce. The veggies were pulled from the oven and stirred in. 

A piping hot plate of pasta and vegetables was placed in front of Tyson, with AJ sprinkling on just a smidge of extra parm on top. Tyson waited for AJ to get seated before taking a bite, being polite. As soon as she was settled, he’d already dug in, looking at her in surprise.

“Why haven’t you been making this for me every day previously? This is amazing!” 

He was already back to working on his bowl, with AJ just staring at him wide-eyed, chuckling.

“Um, thanks? I guess this one is going into rotation,” AJ smirked as she took a bite.

Tyson lucked out that night, as her recipe dirtied very few dishes. AJ was going to help but Tyson insisted he got them. In fact, he offered up the suggestion of maybe playing some video games while he finished up. AJ looked at him a little weird, but took him up on the offer. He took her plate and put it in the dishwasher as she hopped off her chair, and headed toward the room with her computer. They hadn’t yet figured out a good name for that room yet.

Tyson peeked around the corner of the kitchen into the hallway as AJ opened the door.

AJ’s eyes lit up, and she whipped her head back toward the kitchen, feeling Tyson’s gaze on her.

“You didn’t… when did you do this?” 

The garland and lights that adorned their hotel room were along the edges of the ceiling, and the lights actually were scattered all over it the entirety, looking like little stars. AJ gazed around the room in wonder, turning toward Tyson who was already moving toward her to admire his own work.

“When you were napping earlier. I didn’t mean to wake you up when I tried to sneak back to bed, but… yeah. I just remembered how much you loved it at the hotel, and I wanted to recreate it for you. You still like it?”

Tyson found AJ already sitting in her desk chair, spinning slightly just looking at the ceiling.

“It’s perfect, Tyson.”

“That’s the first surprise. I have one more idea to run past you…” 

Tyson pulled up a website on AJ’s computer, and showed a modular couch that would act as also a guest bed, but looked super comfy. 

“You like? This way we can both be in here too, I figured we could call it the hobby room or something. Just our little cave when we don’t have guests. Pick a color?”

AJ picked the midnight blue velvet option.

Tyson pulled his phone out, and tapped away for a few moments.

“It’ll be here in about two weeks,” Tyson looked pleased with himself as he headed back to the kitchen to finish up the dishes while AJ took it easy for the rest of the night.

Things were starting to feel more normal in the new place, especially with Tyson having a game that next evening. Breakfast, morning skate, nap, game. It was falling back into place again. The afternoon was shaken up slightly though with a call from AJ’s doctor, explaining the lab results and what it meant for her currently - mainly taking iron supplements to replenish what she was missing, and then more tests in a couple weeks to rule out a few other things it could be. She was also told to keep eating iron-rich food as well. The doctor didn’t seem terribly worried at the moment at least.

(Tyson might have gotten a little excited at the news, hoping this meant he could grill up steaks for them more often. AJ just really doesn’t like steak, however.

“But you’ve never had one of MY steaks, babe.”

After begging and pleading, she said she’d try it.)

With the final game before the All-Star Game break behind them, Tyson and AJ had a week of freedom. Granted, he still got up, worked out with some of the guys still in town, and one day had a community outreach program with an area school, but most of the time was theirs. Less and less boxes were on the floor, and more and more things were put away. Photos and art were hung on the walls. Their favorite blankets and throw pillows littered the sofa in the living room. The new sectional sofa came in early, and the two set it up in the hobby room. Tyson flexed his muscles and helped AJ build some bookshelves for both the living and hobby rooms. Some evenings were spent with them lounging in the living room watching a movie, others were spent in the hobby room with Tyson practicing his ukulele and AJ playing something on her computer. One evening was spent trying to teach him how to crochet, it didn’t get very far as they ended up just making out under the tiny little lights on the new sofa.

With the bye week winding down, teammates were making their way back to Buffalo from exotic (and less exotic) locations. Practices were ramping up, and Tyson was away at the rink more often again. AJ spent the time putting some finishing touches on the apartment, including new curtains for the bedroom. 

The first game back was ROUGH for the team. Tyson tallied an assist, but overall, it was a 7-2 loss that they had to shrug off as they were on a losing streak. The next handful of games would be a roadie in California, much to AJ’s heartache.

AJ pouted as Tyson packed his bag with clothes for a week.

“We’re missing Valentine’s Day,” AJ whined, “I got so spoiled by having you here for ASG break and now you’re leaving me.” She flopped on the bed, throwing a mock tantrum before rolling back over and laughing a bit.

“I promise we’ll do something when I get back. I do have a little surprise, but I can’t tell you what it is. Also… I know you actually like you time when I’m gone, you’ll find some sort of mischief to keep you occupied.” Tyson thought for a moment. “Hey, isn’t Jess’ birthday coming up? Maybe you two can do something together?”

Grabbing her phone, AJ pulled up the calendar that had both the Sabres’ and Avalanche’s games listed. She scrolled through a couple days to see who was playing when. The gears started turning in her head.

Those gears kept turning as Tyson left for the airport and was flying across the country.

AJ: What are you doing this weekend? Do you have some time off from classes/work?

Jess: Are you coming out to Denver?

AJ: Nope, but I have a crazy idea. What are you doing on Saturday?

Jess: No idea. Nate’s in St. Louis. I’m not working though.

AJ: What would you think about shenanigans in StL?

Jess: Day trip?

AJ: Day trip.

The women started looking at flights trying to figure out how to make this happen, especially considering the Avs/Blues game was an afternoon matchup. It was a very short flight for Jess, AJ not so much, but she’d make it work. The two would continue making plans the rest of the day, interrupted only by Tyson texting that he was on the ground in Los Angeles.

Tyson’s roadie started off on a less than stellar note with a loss. The only good thing is that they didn’t have to swap hotels to get to Anaheim for their next game, so the team was able to relax a bit on Valentine’s Day. 

Part two of Tyson’s plan went into action when AJ received a message that she had a delivery at the front desk of the building. Completely unprepared, AJ saw a number of plants on the desk next to some bouquets of flowers.  The flowers were for other residents, but the plants… all the plants (about 10 different ones) were for her. It took a couple of trips, but AJ got them all upstairs. All placed on the kitchen island, AJ took a moment to look at all of them, and found a card buried in one.

I couldn’t figure out which to get you, they all seemed like ones you’d like, so I got them all. I hope I didn’t go overboard! xoxo, Tyson

They were all beautiful, and all ones AJ would have bought as she does have a slight problem with getting too many houseplants. Some people do drugs, some people drink… AJ collects houseplants.

AJ: Tys, you really shouldn’t have.

AJ sat at the island, trying to figure out what she was going to do with all of them, when she got another message from the front desk that she had another delivery. This left her confused, because she definitely hadn’t ordered anything recently.

Downstairs, AJ found a man with a large cart and several boxes balanced on it. After realizing they were for her, he offered to help her get them upstairs and inside the apartment. They were rather awkward and heavy, so she graciously accepted the help, and tipped him generously after they were in the living room. Unsure of what to do with them, because they were addressed to her, but not knowing what they were, AJ just sat on the sofa staring at them.

Tyson: I know. But if tracking is right, it looks like something has arrived that should help.

Trying to understand what he meant, AJ grabbed the scissors from the kitchen and started opening a box. Inside were a number of metal poles and shelves. Finding the instruction sheet and parts, it was figured out that Tyson had also picked out three stands to put her plants on, in front of various windows in their apartment.

AJ: You really REALLY shouldn’t have, babe… this is too much. I love it, but… too much!

Tyson:  I figured I’d get you something you could work on for a bit, building the shelves and all. I hope you have fun with it all this week! Happy Valentine’s Day! Did you ever figure out something with Jess?

The couple ended up facetiming for a bit, with AJ letting Tyson know what shenanigans they were indeed going to be up to. And surrounding AJ, he could already see parts of the first shelves being put together. If he couldn’t be there for the holiday, he was happy he could surprise her with things to keep her occupied while he was on the road. In a twist, AJ also told Tyson she had a minor surprise for him when he gets home later that weekend - nothing huge, but she thought he’d appreciate it all the same.

The rest of AJ’s Valentine’s Day was spent building shelves, after a quick detour to a home improvement store to pick up a few pots and bags of potting soil. Once the shelves were in place, she worked on getting the plants into their new homes in front of the windows where the sunlight streamed in. (And when it wasn’t streaming in, she did also mount some grow lights so the greenery could at least get some artificial light.) 

Thankful that Tyson was three hours behind her, sending a photo of her handiwork at 10:30PM her time was still 7:30PM there. 

AJ: You still shouldn’t have… but they look amazing. < 3 attachments>

Tyson: Love it. And love you. Heading to bed soon?

AJ: Yeah, it’s getting late. I guess the silver lining of whatever’s causing me to feel off is that I go to bed at reasonable hours these days lol

Tyson: Sleep well, sweet dreams (of me) 

AJ: Of course. Love you too, sleep well when you get there (heart emoji)

It had been a long day, and AJ felt rejuvenated mentally at least, after getting her hands dirty building the shelves, and in the physical dirt while working with the plants. Simple things like that made her happy. Her mind wasn’t racing, and with a tired body, AJ fell asleep quick.

Feeling a little extra pep the next morning, AJ made it to the gym for a bit, but unfortunately pushed herself a little harder than she realized. In a way though, it worked out well because she ended up taking a nap most of the afternoon (thus testing out those new curtains in the bedroom). But it was also helpful because Tyson’s game in Anaheim didn’t start until 10PM for her. It was a good game too, with Tyson scoring a goal and an assist. The Sabres got their two points.

Crunch time was coming soon as far as what was being planned between AJ and Jess though. With just days to spare, the two finalized their plane tickets, as well as tickets to the Avs/Blues game. Jess had been talking about what a stressful week it had been so far, so she was anxious to get away, even if just for a chunk of a day. 

Friday night, AJ couldn’t sleep, as she usually doesn’t before travel days unfortunately. Exhausted already, her flight left at 5:15AM, and with a layover, she ended up in St. Louis around 10:45AM. Jess had beaten her there, and already took the Metro down to the arena area, where it was jam-packed with people. Unbeknownst to either of them, Mardi Gras was taking place that day as well. A huge parade was getting ready to begin in the downtown area, and AJ was worried she wasn’t going to make it in time.

Thankfully, the two met up at Union Station, and started walking toward the arena.  This was the first game AJ had been to where there were a SIGNIFICANT amount of people wearing the opposing team’s jerseys and colors. She figured it easily was one in five people wearing an Avs jersey. (Both Jess and AJ were rocking a 29 jersey. It seems like at least once a week or so they’d find something else they had in common. AJ always said they were twins, even if she were older, and Jess was taller.)

Grabbing some food, the two friends made their way to the glass for warmups. While waiting for the teams to take the ice, it was hitting that this was the first time AJ had seen the Avs in St. Louis - it’d always been Tyson’s team she’d seen there, be it the Wild or the Sabres (and felt weird that she had just been there a couple weeks prior as well!)... but was excited to see her team again, free of stress of who do I cheer for? It was clear she was cheering for the Avs this time around.

And once the teams hit the ice with 16:00 on the clock, She caught the glances and waves from a few players. One player AJ was trying to catch the attention of in particular was Nieto, but he was about as focused as Nate always is and gave no indication of recognition. The women did manage to make eye contact with Nate, but he was stoic as ever… can never really tell what’s running through his mind on the ice. Jess swore she got some extra meaning out of the way he glanced over. Per the old tradition, at least one player shot a puck at the glass directly in front of AJ to make her flinch and/or scream. She was never sure who started it, but all those games she went to while still living in Denver, AT LEAST one player, if not more, would do it. (Author’s note: I’d say it was EJ that started it, but it definitely wasn’t him that shot it that particular game considering he’s out injured.)

As the team headed back to the dressing room, AJ and Jess found their seats in 124, realizing they were sitting amongst some of the WAGs from the opposing team. Thankfully, no one really seemed to care (or notice even). The family sitting next to Jess and AJ did ask if they had traveled in for the game, and where they were from. They might have been some of the most genuinely nice people AJ had met in St. Louis, considering her previous run-ins with less than stellar fans at the Enterprise Center. (To be fair, there are crappy fans EVERYWHERE. But for some reason the awful ones seemed to find AJ there more often.)

While the score of the game was great if you’re an Avs fan, it was definitely still frustrating for a number of reasons - namely seeing Makar get hit in the head again, second time in less than two weeks (and ultimately being put on concussion protocol again). And Nate struggled finding the back of the net BUT it was also against Binnington. Somehow that goalie was able to get into Nate’s head. Thankfully the rest of the team was able to pick it up and get a 4-1 win. 

The team headed to the airport shortly after media availability, as they had an early afternoon game back in Denver the following day. The women still had a few hours of free time before having to head back, and took advantage.

Making their way out of the arena, Jess and AJ headed to the Gateway Arch for some photo ops, as well as trying to figure out what to have for dinner. After a failed attempt to get White Castle (stupid card readers being down), and figuring out their backup plan of BBQ was thwarted as it closed early that day, AJ had the idea of dragging Jess to get Seoul Taco, especially as it was kind of sort of on the way to the airport, where both needed to head back to that night regardless. This plan also pleased AJ because she wasn’t able to snag some dinner there when she was there the previous month and was absolutely craving it.

Sadly, it was far too short of a day though. Even though they text all the time, and send each other memes and tiktoks, it still hurt having to head to the airport, splitting up with a hug and a “see you soon!” Depending on the playoffs though, AJ and Jess contemplated finding a game they could meet up for again, because it was ridiculous and fun to somehow cram it all into a day.

Before getting in the air, AJ let Tyson know she was heading home, sending a few photos of her and Jess being silly in St. Louis. She’d end up missing his game for the most part, but she knew they got another win. As soon as she was on the ground in Buffalo, and was able to get a Lyft back home, she crashed hard as the day took it out of her. 

In true AJ fashion though, her body betrayed her, waking up an hour before her alarm was slated to go off. Tyson would be home later that day, and she was trying to surprise him with something. If you haven’t figured it out already, AJ equates food with love. So she got up and got dressed, heading to the grocery store to pick up a few things to make Tyson a nice homecooked meal when he finally got back from San Jose. 

With all the prepwork done, and food simmering away, AJ fell asleep on the sofa.

A very tired Tyson drove back from the airport, and was dragging his bags upstairs. The click of his key in the door lock woke AJ from her nap. He opened the door, placing his bag on top of the washing machine in the utility closet. His nose took over, leading him down the hall and into the kitchen, where he could see AJ buried under his favorite blanket on the sofa, face barely peeking out. Looking to the counter and stove, Tyson’s eyes went wide and his heart skipped a beat.

“Tell me that’s your pot roast simmering in that pot…”

Instead of having the hotel concierge pick up groceries, after much insistence, Tyson convinced AJ to go with him to the grocery store closest to them after morning practice to pick up a few staples they were quickly running out of in the kitchen. AJ was looking at produce, when Tyson said he’d be right back. Turning the cart to the meat department, she spied Tyson coming back toward her, grin on his face, arms full of garland and Christmas lights.

“You know we don’t have a tree, right?” 

AJ was confused seeing Tyson drop the shiny loops of garland and boxes into the cart, still trying to figure out what he was up to.

“I know,” Tyson continued grinning, “They’re already marked down though, just trust me.”

With a shake of her head in disbelief at what sort of mischief was likely going to go down, AJ squinted trying to figure out what he was planning. She inevitably continued pushing the cart to the frozen section, where they loaded up on a bunch of vegetables and proteins.

Returning “home”, the two unloaded Tyson’s SUV and headed upstairs. With the groceries put away, the garland and lights sat on the table, making AJ wonder more what the plan was for them. Feeling a little wound up and antsy though, she decided to hit the gym. It was the perfect time for Tyson to put phase one of his plan into action. 

Finding some command hooks stashed in one of AJ’s bins, he started putting the removable hooks around the top of the walls. While he didn’t think he had quite the eye for design that she did, he was pretty proud of what he accomplished in the forty-five minutes or so that AJ was at the gym.

All the while, AJ was just clearing her head while hitting the elliptical machine for a bit. The Sabres had an upcoming roadie later that week, starting in Denver. She’d been plotting with Nate to surprise Jess with a visit and the two of them could go to the game. But following that game, while Tyson would be heading to Arizona and then to Vegas, she’d be heading to Minneapolis to pack up what remained of their life there. Laura was going to come in for a couple days as well before heading to Buffalo to spend a little time with Tyson and AJ. (It was still unknown if Kacey and the Grandparents Jost would be able to make the trip, but worst case scenario, they could meet on Zoom.) Once things would be packed, AJ would take what she could fit in her Soul and drive the two days back to Buffalo. The remaining items would be packed up by the movers, and put into storage in New York until they found a new place to set up home. 

The idea of home was feeling a little off for AJ. Wherever Tyson was, was home. With the whirlwind of being whisked off to Minnesota, and then quickly being moved to Buffalo… coupled with the fact that Tyson becomes a RFA at the end of the current season, AJ was nervous to really find another place and unpack. Afraid of the unknown, a little bit of apprehension was felt not knowing if Buffalo would re-sign him, or if he’d be shipped off somewhere else again. 

But what she did know for sure was that the coaching staff and reporters seemingly were happy with him where he was. (That was another feeling that felt foreign, but in a good way.) They couldn’t stay in the hotel forever, so AJ was going to just have to push the worry away and just live in the moment. Finding a real place for the two of them was creeping up on her to-do list.

With her workout complete, all AJ wanted was to get upstairs and take a hot shower to get cleaned up. Unlocking the door to their room, she found the main room lights/lamps turned off, but the room was warmly lit by hundreds of twinkling lights lining the ceiling, reflecting off of the shiny garland. Little dots of lights splashed on the ceiling and surrounding walls of the living room, and she could see them in the bedroom as well. Tyson peeked over the back of the sofa, taking in the sight of AJ looking around in wonderment.

“What do you think?” He couldn’t contain the giddiness in hoping she loved it.

It took a few moments for AJ to really process what she was seeing.

“It’s magical, Tys,” her eyes continued trailing around, trying to figure out how many sets of lights he bought. In fact, it hit her in a way she hadn’t expected, feeling warm inside, almost to the point of happy tears. Something felt familiar, normal. 

Tyson barely heard the whispered “Thank you for this,” and let the smile overtake his face. Phase one of his plan was a success.

AJ came around and quickly kissed Tyson, knowing full well she needed a shower. Tyson scrunched his nose.

“Make it quick… I have another surprise for you,” Tyson teased as AJ was heading to the back to get cleaned up, “Change into something warm, we’re heading back out when you’re done.”

Trying to figure out what the surprise would be, AJ hopped into the shower for a quick wash and rinse. All the while, Tyson was having his phone find directions to their next destination that he hoped would really get her in a festive mood. He had her coat already out, and she found him on the sofa already in his  black wool coat, ready to go. Helping AJ into her coat, Tyson then lead them down to get back into his SUV and let the lady in his phone navigate them to the surprise location.

Looking around, it was an area AJ hadn’t yet explored, but she saw tons of people milling about between vendor stalls and other exhibits. If the lights and garland in the hotel didn’t put her over the edge with happy tears, Tyson finding a Christmas Market definitely did. He remembered last year she had mentioned that a neighboring town to where she lived prior to Denver had an amazing Christmas Market, reminding her of where her ancestors came from. To find one that had so many of the things she had talked about, like food vendors that sold mulled wine and Christmastime sweets, other stalls that had handmade crafts, and all sorts of other treasures truly made him excited to share it all with her.

The only thing he was kicking himself for was not finding it earlier as he learned he could have rented a whole igloo for them to share and have some privacy, but maybe that would be next year. 

Seeing AJ wander the stalls, getting excited and grabbing his hand to pull him to show something off and tell him about it was more than enough to let him know he did well in finding what would put her into the spirit. The two wandered the aisles, as the sun set and the overhead lights went on, lighting the way with strings of bulbs lining the rows. With the hands that weren’t holding each other’s full of treats, the two found a place to sit for a moment. Tyson grabbed two mugs of hot spiced apple cider from a nearby vendor, coming back to find AJ opening up the various packets to share things like Lebkuchen, marzipan, and meringue kisses. 

The two sat next to each other on the picnic table, enjoying the treats and the company, until the wintertime chill was overtaking the warmth from the cider. AJ begged for one more lap around the middle vendor area as she wanted to go back and look at a particular vendor’s wares… or wears as the case may have been. 

Finding the booth, she found herself letting her fingers run over the soft crocheted yarn that completed a slouchy beanie, but winced when she saw the price tag. (And to be fair, it was an absolutely fair price for the handcrafted item that took a lot of time and yarn to create, but AJ couldn’t justify it.) Without even flinching, Tyson snatched it from the rack and raced to the cashier, because he saw how much AJ’s eyes sparkled seeing the blue hat. (Also he thought the blue would be beautiful with her eyes as well. It all seemed to be meant to be.) After paying, he pulled the hat onto AJ’s head.

“Tyson, you really didn’t need to do that, especially after buying all these treats…” She knew she wasn’t going to win this fight though.

“Maybe not, but,” Tyson winked, “Gotta get you more blue stuff to wear to games anyway.”