A/N: Hopefully this redeems Erik a little bit for you guys :)
Day two of unpacking was marginally better than the first, if only because Emma’s giant of a neighbor hadn’t been around to witness her trip on the top step yet again that morning. She was still nursing a slightly sore and bruised knee a few hours later, when the next big dangerous task came up; hanging a couple of pictures. The task itself shouldn’t have been dangerous, but the frames were big enough she was going to need to stand on a chair to hang them up high. Emma took a deep breath, hauled up the heavy frame, and took a step onto the chair.
It took seconds for things to go wrong. Her back foot caught on the arm of the chair as Emma stepped up, and she immediately slipped sideways into the shelf right next to her ribcage. The frame smashed on the wall, and Emma felt pain in her forearm as a shard of glass nicked her.
There wasn’t time to do anything except brace herself. The shelf crashed to the ground, taking the ugly-ass plates from her aunt and a framed picture of her best friend with it. Emma wobbled on the chair, but kept her balance. “Shit,” she mumbled to the wall. Shards of glass from the picture frame and pieces of the ceramic plates littered the ground around the chair, and the radius of the shards was too far to jump. There was maybe enough space for her to step around them, but in bare feet Emma wasn’t looking forward to the prospect.
A pounding at Emma’s door almost made her fall off the chair. A muffled voice came from behind the door. “You good?” She heaved a sigh. Of course Erik would be the one to find her like this.
“Door’s unlocked! Come in!” He was inside before she’d even finished talking. It took a full ten seconds, she counted, before he moved from the entryway. Emma shifted uncomfortably on the chair as he took in her appearance, from her bare feet to the disheveled mess of her hair. It was only when he looked in the direction of her legs that she realized they were bare except for where the hem of her oversized t-shirt just covered her underwear. For approximately the thousandth time since she’d met Erik, Emma cursed her clumsiness. She shifted uncomfortably as Erik continued to stand completely still. It wasn’t until she began to step down from the chair gingerly, looking for a safe space to put her bare feet, that he moved.
No giant should be able to move as quickly as he did. Erik took three long strides to reach her, glass and ceramic crunching under his sneakered feet. “Don’t you dare.” His words were a warning, and Emma froze. Huge hands, warm and strong, slid around her shoulders and behind her knees. Erik lifted her into his arms gently, and she automatically clenched her arms around his neck. “Angel, I think I’m gonna have to wrap you in bubble wrap to keep you safe.” Erik’s voice, low and gravelly as it was in the moment, rumbled through his chest and Emma could feel it against her torso where their bodies touched. She wasn’t even going to think about the way her stomach fluttered at the nickname.
Erik carried her clear of the mess on her floor, only placing her on the ground once they were several feet away. For a split second it felt like he pulled her tighter into his chest, but then her feet were on the ground and he was stepping back slightly. “You okay?” Erik’s hands settled on the tops of her arms as he spoke, and his eyes scanned her body quickly. She opened her mouth to confirm that she was fine when his gaze settled on her forearm. “Sweetheart, you’re bleeding.” Emma looked down, and sure enough the nick she’d felt was actually a sizeable cut. Blood ran down her arm at a slightly higher volume than a trickle. It probably should have been more concerning than it was, but Emma’s thoughts were more on the fact that Erik hadn’t ever actually called her by her name. It was always ‘sweetheart’ or ‘angel’. Come to think of it, maybe she hadn’t ever actually told him her name. Who does that? He had been in her apartment, for fucks’ sake.
“Where’s your bathroom?” Erik’s voice cut through her thoughts, and Emma pointed mutely. He caught the hand on her good arm in a gentle grip and pulled her across the living room. “C’mon. Let’s get you cleaned up.” Emma felt like putty in Erik’s hands as he moved her around, gently lifting her onto the counter and maneuvering her arm under the faucet. The water ran pink, and Emma closed her eyes. Of all the things to defeat her, it just had to be blood. A cool hand settled on her cheek as her brain went a little fuzzy. “Hey. Stay with me sweetheart. You good?”
Emma shook her head. “Don’t like blood,” she rasped through a bone-dry throat. “I’m okay.” The cool hand slipped from her cheek to the back of her head, and Erik put gentle pressure there.
“Lean on me. Don’t look, I’ll clean you up.” Emma followed the press of Erik’s hand, leaning her forehead into his shoulder. “Atta girl. I’ve got you.” His voice rumbled through his chest, and Emma felt it where her shoulder and good arm touched his side.
Any of the lingering irritation she’d felt towards him over yesterday was gone. If anything, Emma now had a soft spot for her next-door neighbor. “It’s Emma.” Erik’s hands stilled from where they were rinsing out her arm for a split second before starting up again. “I just realized I never actually told you my name.”
The sound of a bottle opening and liquid splashing registered seconds before Emma felt a slight sting on her cut. “Emma.” She shivered at the sound of Erik’s gravelly voice saying her name. “Short and sweet. Suits you.” She felt his smile against the top of her head. “I don’t think you need stitches, but I am going to put a band-aid and some bacitracin on this. Don’t want you to get an infection or anything.”
Emma nodded into Erik’s shoulder. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Erik said nothing as he finished patching up her arm, but then she felt an arm come around her back and tug her torso closer into Erik’s chest. “Don’t mention it, Angel. Just promise me you won’t hang things barefoot anymore?”
That was an easy thing to agree to. Emma nodded. “You keep seeing me at my worst,” she mumbled into Erik’s chest grumpily. At this rate, he was going to see her drastically injure herself by the end of the first week. She stiffened against his chest at the thought. What was next? A grease fire? Falling down the stairs? Cutting a finger off while cooking?
Her doomsday thoughts were interrupted by a slight tug on her hair. “Hey. Your thoughts are so loud I can practically hear them. If this is your worst, I’m almost afraid to see how incredible you are at your best.”
Emma leaned back to see Erik smirking at her. “Are you flirting with me?” His smirk became a full-on grin.
“Been flirting with you the whole damn time, Angel, you just didn’t catch on.” Emma gaped at her neighbor as he stepped back, instantly lamenting the loss of his warmth. “Now that you’ve got that figured out, dinner Saturday?” She cocked her head at him choosing a day three days in advance, and he shrugged. “Figured I’d be a good guy and let you get settled before I sweep you off your feet.”
That was it. Emma barked out a laugh, and Erik looked far too proud of himself. “Yeah, Casanova, you can take me out Saturday.” Not that she’d ever let him actually get somewhere with her. She slid off the counter, and Erik was immediately there with an arm out to steady her when she stumbled slightly. As infuriating as her new neighbor was, she couldn’t help but find him adorable too.
He walked out of the bathroom, and Emma took a second to settle her legs before she tried to walk. The blood really had thrown her off, and she needed to take a couple of deep breaths. By the time Emma made it back out into her living room, Erik was already picking up the large chunks of glass littering her entryway. “You don’t have to-” Emma stopped when he held up a hand.
“I don’t mind helping you clean this up. Besides, some of this stuff has blood on it. I don’t want you to get woozy and step on glass.” His words were slightly domineering, but also sweet. “You’re still barefoot; can you grab me your vacuum without stepping near the glass?” Erik glanced backwards at her, nodding when she gestured in the direction of her bedroom. “Grab that for me, and then I’ll get out of your hair.”
Emma took a deep breath as she stepped into her bedroom. It had been a long time since she’d had anyone looking out for her, especially a potential romantic interest. Her last boyfriend hadn’t even cared when she spent a night in the hospital, let alone if she stepped on a piece of glass.
She stepped back out of her room with her vacuum in hand. “I can vacuum this stuff up, Erik, you don’t have to worry about it.”
Erik looked over from where he stood by her trash can and pinned her with a glare. “I said I’d help you clean this shit up, and I’m going to do what I said.” Emma opened her mouth to protest, but he held up a hand. “I know you don’t need my help and you are perfectly capable of doing it yourself, but I want to do this for you.” His face softened. “Sweetheart, in the two days I’ve known you you’ve fallen up the stairs at least once, taken out a shelf, and sliced the shit out of your arm. It seems like you’re having a rough week, and I want to make it a little easier. Can you let me do that?”
Damn him, he was saying everything right. Emma sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. He smiled gently and reached out a hand for the vacuum. “Thank you, Angel.”
She stood back and watched Erik vacuum up the area around her chair, carefully lifting the chair and the corner of the area rug to make sure he got everything. He even wrapped up the cord when he was finished. “Thank you,” Emma mumbled. Her neighbor flashed a smile in her direction before stalking towards her.
“Saturday.” He ran a thumb across her cheekbone, smiling again. “Try not to end up in a hospital or anything before then, yeah?”
Emma smacked Erik’s arm as he let out a bark of laughter. He was still laughing as he strode towards her front door, and Emma could hear him chuckling to himself even from the hallway.
A/N: Here's the first part of that EJ piece I mentioned last week! I shifted stuff a little, so this is now a named protagonist and she's an editor instead of a travelling nurse, but same general premise exists
She really should have known better. Carrying two large boxes of books would have been hard enough for the average person, let alone a massive clutz. Considering Emma fell into the latter category, it wasn’t a surprise when her foot caught the top step of her new apartment building and two boxes of books went flying. Her palms smacked the hard floor, and a string of curses flew out of her mouth. There was a rock or something under her right hand, and Emma could feel it digging into her palm. “Motherfucker.” A deep chuckle sounded from behind her.
“I thought the goal of books was to read them, not throw them down a hallway.” Emma bristled at the laughter in the man’s voice. Sure, she was clumsy, but that didn’t mean strangers could make fun of her for it. Sneakers appeared on the ground in front of her, and then a hand with slightly bruised knuckles entered Emma’s field of vision. “Need a little help?”
The hand was attached to a giant with a smile that would have been beautiful if not for the fact that what looked like half of his teeth were missing. He raised an eyebrow in challenge, and Emma took his hand with a scowl. For a second the world tilted, jolting her stomach, and suddenly she was on her feet. “Thanks,” Emma muttered. “And I didn’t throw my books, I just-”
“You just tripped and the books were a casualty. Yeah, I saw.” Emma scowled at the interruption, but swallowed a retort when the giant began picking up her books. “That step gets everybody at least once, it’s almost a rite of passage around here.” He handed Emma the small collection of books with a grin, and she found herself smiling softly back. “I think the apartment agency had murder in mind when they made the top step the same material carpet as the landing.” Emma looked behind her for the first time since making the tumble, and realized he was right; the rest of the stairs were wood, but the last step was a patterned carpet that matched the landing. From where the pair was standing, you could barely even see the step.
Emma turned around again to find the giant staring at her. “I’m Erik,” he said suddenly. “Considering all the apartments on this floor are full except for one, I’m assuming you’re the new tenant for number 352?” She nodded mutely. “I’m in 350. I guess we’re next-door neighbors, then!” The giant - Erik, Emma reminded herself - began to walk in the direction of her apartment. “I’ll help you get these books inside, unless you don’t want my help?” He raised an expectant eyebrow, in a move she was beginning to recognize as his signature, and waited for her response.
He had her there. Emma let out a heavy sigh and gestured at the books in defeat. “Be my guest.” It would have been one thing if he lived on a different floor, or was just visiting one of her neighbors, but now she had to be nice to him. She’d made enemies of neighbors before, in places she knew she wasn’t staying long, but this was different. This time she planned to stick around for a while. Erik grinned for real this time, and scooped up both boxes of books. “I can get a box… or not,” Emma grumbled to the giant’s back. He didn’t even wait for her, instead walking towards her apartment door like he lived there. She strode after Erik, taking two steps each just to make up for one of his.
It was a painful thing to admit to herself, but Emma had to admire the view from behind as Erik strode to her front door. It wasn’t just his height that made him a giant: the man had huge legs and shoulders, and an ass that could only be described as solid. He hauled what was at least 30 pounds of books between the two boxes like they weighed nothing, and when he turned around to raise an eyebrow at Emma he was barely winded. She’d been winded just lifting the boxes out of her car, let alone walking with them.
Erik stepped to the side once they reached her door, pushing inside before Emma had a chance to turn around and take the boxes. He placed them gently on her kitchen counter, turning around with a smirk to see her arms still outstretched to take the boxes. “Didn’t want you to trip over anything on your way to the counter.” Emma didn’t think, she just reacted. Her tongue was out of her mouth before she’d even fully registered his comment, creating the most embarrassingly childish reaction she could have ever done. Erik let out a bark of laughter, surprising Emma when he returned the gesture.
In an attempt to ignore the jolt in her stomach at the sight of Erik’s playful gesture, Emma ventured over to the counter to settle the couple of books she did carry next to the boxes. “Thanks for the help,” she said reluctantly. Erik was smirking at her when she chanced a look in his direction, and Emma scowled back at him.
“I have to ask,” Erik drawled, glancing around at the sparsely furnished apartment, “why in the hell were you bringing up books when you don’t even have shit to sit on?”
Emma’s scowl deepened. “I have movers bringing my big furniture later, but I need these books. They’re kinda my job.”
“Librarian?” Erik’s question was accompanied by a raised brow and a look that said he was picturing her in a very sexualized version of the role.
“Editor. All of those books you just carried in are ones that I helped prepare for publishing.” She flushed with a bit of pride. It had started as a joke, when her cousin bought her the first book she helped get published, but then it snowballed and now she had a copy of every book she worked on.
Erik looked at her with renewed interest at her words. “So you aren’t a librarian, but you do read books for a living?” She nodded silently. At least he wasn’t being weird about it. “That’s pretty cool. I could never.” It took a lot of willpower, but Emma just barely managed to hold back a sarcastic comment asking if he could even read.
She was saved from the mental battle when Erik let out a sigh. “Well, I’ve gotta go. I have a hot date with my teammates and some spaghetti.” He didn’t even give Emma a chance to ask what in the hell he was talking about before he was headed towards the door and throwing another sarcastic comment her way. “Try not to trip on anything while I’m gone, sweetheart. I won’t be here to pick up any more books for you.”
The door slammed behind him as she began yelling obscenities at his back. The only sign that he’d even heard her was a distant chuckle from the other side of the door. Maybe making friends with her new neighbors wasn’t a good idea after all.
How would everybody feel about an Erik Johnson series?
General synopsis: a traveling nurse(y/n) decides to settle down in one city for a while. She meets her new neighbor(EJ), as she’s trying to move into her apartment. Y/N doesn’t really like him at first, being strongly anti-athlete thanks to an ex-boyfriend, but shenanigans ensue and EJ slowly breaks down her walls. Strangers to enemies-ish to lovers??
A/N: Hey guys! I'ts been a while lol. Here's a little bit of new content, short and sweet
Y/N knew who was at the door even before she walked past the front window overlooking the door. Jake was the ONLY person who would ring her doorbell so incessantly at one in the morning. “Jake, what the fu-” Y/N stopped short at the look on Jake’s face. He looked scared, a look she hadn’t seen on his face in almost 5 years of friendship. They stood in her doorway for a few seconds, Y/N staring at Jake as he stood completely frozen. “Jake, what’s going on?”
The sound of her voice broke whatever spell he was under, and Jake surged forward. His arms wrapped around Y/N in a crushing hug. She let go of the door handle to pull him closer, and the sound of the door slamming shut barely registered past the sound of her blood rushing in her ears. Something was wrong, and she could feel it. “Jake,” she whispered softly, and he let out a small shudder. Jake somehow pulled her even closer, and she felt him bury his face in her hair.
“You were dying,” he mumbled into Y/N’s hair. “You were dying and I couldn’t save you. I woke up and it felt so real I had to check and make sure you were okay.” Y/N’s heart tightened at his words. A dream. Everyone was okay.
She began to whisper soothing words into Jake’s chest, and he slowly loosened his grip. “I’m okay, Jakey.” Y/N rubbed Jake’s back in slow circles. “I’m right here. I’m okay.” Jake took a deep breath and released Y/N. She cocked her head at the sight of the haunted look that still sat in Jake’s eyes, and he reached out to cup her cheek.
They stood together in the doorway of Y/N’s apartment unmoving until the sound of the heat kicking on disturbed the silence. Jake finally seemed to register the time, and an apologetic look replaced the remainder of the fear sitting in his eyes. “I’m sorry if I woke you up.” Y/N reached up to squeeze the hand still cupping her cheek. He seemed to understand what she was trying to say without words, and he stepped forward to pull Y/N back into his arms.
“You want to stay over this weekend?” Jake nodded into Y/N’s hair, and she smiled tiredly. “I think I still have that box of clothes you forgot when you moved up to Boston.” He nodded again. “Let’s go to sleep and then we’ll check it out in the morning, yeah?”
They walked together to her room, where Jake crashed down onto Y/N’s bed with a heavy sigh. He was already falling asleep by the time she closed the door and climbed back into bed. Jake’s arm snaked out to pull her into his side, and Y/N let out a giggle. “You could’ve just asked me to scoot over.”
A smirk played over Jake’s face, though he kept his eyes closed. “Where’s the fun in that?,” he joked. The arm he had around her waist tightened, squeezing Y/N into his side. “I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you for always being here, and that dream tonight made me realize it.”
Y/N’s heart tugged. “You never have to thank me, Jakey,” she whispered softly. “You pulled me out of a really dark place, and I will always be here for you.” She leaned heavier into Jake’s side as sleep began to take over again.
Sleep had almost taken Y/N before she heard Jake speak again, so faint she wasn’t even sure he’d actually said it. ““I’m always here for you too, angel.”
This is the first time ever I write something in here, the actual first time I post something on tumblr. And the reason I'm doing it is to APOLOGIZE TO ALL FANFIC AUTHORS from the stories I've read.
Listen, I love fanfiction so freaking much! I have read TONS of it, every format, every length, sometimes I didn't even know who it was about, but still read it because the story was so well written, or so interesting...
I love the idea of creating a storyline for the characters you like, to make them live the situations your mind create, to rewrite what you thought could go another way... but most of all, I love the idea of a community being created behind of it all. It's crazy to think that I can talk to and share ideas and ask for a whole ass story for someone that's in another continent just because we find the same hockey boy cute 😌 I cannot express how much fanfiction has helped throughout this chaos we're all living, how many times it was the thing that made me scape from reality and feel bring some sort of lightness in this dark times.
The thing is, I haven't contributing to this community lately. I've been shit about interacting with authors and tell them how much O love Theis stories and how grateful I am that they crate this tiny universes and share them with us - for free I may add.
So, to everyone that wrote a blurb, 5+1 story(3+1, 4+1...),a multi chapter story, a long ass fic, a tiny concept fic, a headcanon, A NSFW alphabet, an angsty piece, a fluffy piece, a spicy piece, a baby fic... anything:
T H A N K Y O U !❤️
You've made my days better, calmed me in times of need, made me smile when things got heavy, made me giddy when everything seemed gray around and helped maintain the minimum of my mental health amidst the chaos.
Guys I just realized there was a whole paragraph and a half missing from the end of the epilogue of Wedding Date, so I’ve updated it with the fixed version. This is what I get for drunk posting, I guess
being pregnant and mat finding out and crying bevause hes so happy also i feel like he would literally sleep with his head on your belly
Okay wow 🥺🥺
“No you’re not.” Mat gaped at you from his spot at the counter, when he held two positive pregnancy tests in his hands. You nodded, trying to hold back a smile.
“No way.” He stood, tripping slightly on the legs of the stool next to him. “Baby holy shit!” This was why you’d chosen to surprise him rather than takes the tests when he was home. His reaction was well worth the agonizing wait all alone while he was at practice that morning.
You giggled as he strode around the counter, and the giggle turned to full-on laughter when he pulled you tightly into his chest. “You’re pregnant. Like you’re actually pregnant.” Suddenly he went silent, and then his shoulders began to shake.
“Mat?” Tear-filled eyes met yours when you pulled back, and then you were crying too. Mat stared down at you for a second. You stared back, and then you began to second-guess his reaction. Maybe he wasn’t as thrilled as you’d thought he would be?
He dropped to his knees in front of you, and his hands wrapped around your middle until you stepped forward. Mat pressed his face into your stomach and sighed. Now you were the one shaking as Mat whispered words into your stomach meant only for your baby.“I promise to love and protect you and mom. I love you, baby.”
Mat flexed his hands on your back as you cried silently, and his tear-filled eyes met yours with a small smile. “I love you.” He kissed your belly a couple of times and then met your eyes again. “My little family.”
Later, as you laid on the couch after Mat’s game, the man himself appeared from the front hallway. You began to stand, but he held up a hand. “I wanna cuddle.” You couldn’t say no, not to the face he was making, so you settled back into the cushions.
The suit jacket he was wearing went onto the back of a chair, his belt and shoes strewn more carelessly on the floor. Mat didn’t flop like he normally would, instead laying carefully into the space between your legs. He settled his head onto your stomach and pressed a kiss to the same spot he’d kissed earlier that day. He whispered a commentary of the game into your stomach, a play-by-play of everything of significance plus a couple of stupid things “Uncle Anthony” said on the bench.
You fell asleep that way for the first time that night, though over the course of the next several months it certainly wasn’t the last time.
don’t lie to me we all know matty is will ADORE his gf like practically kisses the ground you walk on
Dude if you want soft I will so give you soft. My favorite type of writing tbh. I’m also assuming you mean Barzal here, so that’s who we’re going with.
There probably wasn’t anyone more excited about your graduation than Matty. Even your parents weren’t at his level of excitement, though this was going to be their third graduation of yours; you supposed at this point it was becoming an every-few-years thing for them.
You also knew he was planning some kind of party. He could try to keep it a secret as much as he wanted, but you knew your boyfriend well enough to now he was planning something.
Well that and Anthony had accidentally spoiled it a week ago.
Matty was waiting when you woke up the morning of the graduation, avocado toast and a bowl of fruit sitting on a tray alongside a large cup of coffee. His smile could have lit up the darkest of stormy skies as he sat the tray in your lap. You choked down the warning about not staining your duvet cover once you registered his excitement, and accepted the gentle kiss he pressed to your cheek with a smile.
“Congratulations, baby,” Matty whispered against your skin. He steadied the tray on your lap when you turned slightly to face him, meeting your sleepy gaze with a gentle smile and another kiss. “Happy graduation day.”
You smiled softly back at Matty. He was one for showing his love with gestures and affection. It was rare that he actually said the words, but after a while you came to realize that the notes in your phone case and snacks in your desk were his ways of showing love.
So I have never been super comfy writing the smutty stuff, but I’ll write a post-sex thingy for you!
The weight of Mat on your chest probably should have been suffocating, but instead it was comforting. You ran your fingers through the dark silky hair tickling the skin around your collarbone, tugging lightly on the strands. Mat groaned and burrowed his face deeper into your neck.
You shivered as the A/C kicked on and cooled the sweat sitting on your skin. Mat shifted at your shiver, and you whined quietly as he sat up. His eyes were tender as he gazed down at you, hands skimming over the goosebumps sitting on your skin. “You want a shower, or just a washcloth?”
It was a tough choice. One one hand, a shower with Mat almost certainly meant another round. On the other, you were sleepy and ready to be cuddled. “Just the washcloth,” you decided. Mat nodded, and he disappeared into your shared bathroom only to return with a warm washcloth.
He knocked your hands away when you reached for it, instead choosing to wipe down your lower half himself. “Let me take care of you, love.” He finished cleaning you up with a kiss to your lower belly, and then disappeared again to clean himself up.
You were almost asleep by the time Mat came back, and he slipped into bed next to you quietly. “Love you, Matty.”
He hauled you back into his chest and pressed a kiss to your still-naked shoulder. “Love you more.”
A/N: Surprise, @tysojost !! It's not babies babies, but I think you might like this anyway.
2 Years Later
Melissa had been sitting on the floor for the better part of an hour by the time Tyler walked into the bathroom. He immediately dropped to the ground next to her, hands on her cheeks and hurried questions rushing from his lips. She nodded mutely, not hearing anything he said. It was clear from the crease between Tyler’s eyebrows that she’d completely stumped him, so Melissa patted the ground next to her. He sat without a word. “Why are we on the ground, pretty girl?”
The chill of the tile under Melissa’s legs finally registered with her, and she pulled her legs into her chest to escape at least a little bit of the chill. “I took a pregnancy test. I’m scared to look at the results.” She’d expected Tyler to jump up, to look at the results and then tell her what they said. Actually, she was hoping that’s what he’d do. Then she wouldn’t have to make the conscious choice to look.
Instead, Tyler wrapped an arm around Melissa’s shoulders and tugged until she leaned into his body. “Are you scared to look because you don’t want to be, or are you scared to look because you’re afraid you aren’t?” It was a question she hadn’t even asked herself yet. She hadn’t gotten past the general fear.
“I think I’m scared that I’ll be disappointed if I’m not.” Now that she said it out loud, Melissa was able to register the truth in her words. Initially, when she’d first realized her period was late, the fear had been that her and Tyler’s relationship wasn’t at the point. After the initial shock wore off and she began to get used to the idea, the thought of Tyler with their baby grew appealing. So yeah, she was going to be disappointed if this was a negative test.
A hand came up to tilt Melissa’s chin, and she met Tyler’s hesitant gaze. “You want a baby with me?” Melissa nodded. “I think,” Tyler hesitated, and then his eyes lit up. “I think I want that too.” They stared at each other, taking a moment to recognize the gravity of the situation and their words, and then Tyler lifted himself into a crouch. “You want me to look?”
Melissa took a deep breath before nodding, though she curled her arms tighter around her legs. The air in the bathroom thickened and time slowed down as Tyler picked up the stick. His face flashed in disappointment, and Melissa felt the same disappointment deep in her gut. Tyler hauled her to her feet and into his chest. “I love you,” Tyler whispered into Melissa’s hair.
They stayed like that until Tyler’s phone buzzed somewhere behind them. “We can try, if you’re ready.” Tyler caught Melissa’s chin in his hand the way he’d done from the beginning. His face looked so earnest, and Melissa was shaken again by the depth of love in his eyes. “I think we’d make pretty good babies, eh baby?” Melissa threw her head back in laughter. He would make her laugh at a time like this.
“Yeah, Ty,” she whispered softly. “I think I’m ready.” Tyler’s answering kiss told her that was the right answer.
2.5 years later
6 months to the day after the first pregnancy test, and Melissa found herself in the same spot on the floor. This time, though, Tyler was right there with her, her hand in his. He kept her distracted from the phone timer between them with stories about his childhood and increasingly ridiculous suggestions for baby names.
The time passed faster with him, and this time they didn’t wait well past the timer to check the results. Tyler leapt to his feet as soon as the timer went off, and he hauled Melissa to her feet along with him.
She was ready for him to flip it over immediately, as excited as he appeared to be, but instead Tyler turned back to her. “No matter what, I love you. If this time isn’t it, we’ll try again. This will happen eventually.” Tyler gripped her hands in his. “Besides, a negative test means more baby making practice.” And there was the boyish sense of humor Melissa couldn’t help but love.
Tyler took a deep breath as he reached for the test, and Melissa squeezed his hand tightly. He flipped it, and she held her breath. Two lines. Melissa’s mind went blank. She registered Tyler yelling out in excitement, the dogs barking in response, but all she could see were those two pink lines. Those lines were a representation of how much her life had changed over the course of three years, and how much better it had gotten since what was quite possibly the worst part of her life.
Arms wrapped around Melissa’s waist and lifted, and Tyler’s lips met hers in an excited kiss. She broke the kiss to tuck her face into Tyler’s shoulder, and dampness as her face met his neck made her register that she was crying. “We’re having a baby.” The words were whispered, and everything became real. The world sharpened, and Melissa said the words louder just to hear them again. “We’re having a baby!” Tyler laughed into her ear, and she said a muffled “holy shit” into his neck.
So this got deep fast, I hope you’re cool with sappy love and babies lol
It had been about two weeks since Vince left on a road trip, and your daughter had gone from speaking barely intelligible words to small phrases, provided those phrases were practiced heavily. Needless to say, you’d spent a lot of time practicing one particular phrase with her.
The boys got home from the trip early in the morning, and Vince stumbled into the kitchen as you prepped breakfast for your daughter. She squealed as soon as she saw him, and you grinned at the sight of your two favorite people greeting each other.
Vince scooped her out of where she sat in her high chair, pressing sloppy kisses all over her face. Your daughter giggled and waved her arms, trying to give kisses back to him. “Vivvy show daddy what you learned how to say!”
You smiled when Vince turned his head to give you a questioning look at your words, and you shook your head with a smile. “Remember, Vivvy? Go,”
“Go daddy go!” It was garbled, and you only understood what she was saying because you’d been practicing with her, but Vince seemed to get the idea. Immediately his eyes filled with tears as your daughter yelled the phrase again and again, and he pulled her in close.
His shoulders shook slightly, and you hurried over to touch his arm. You’d been hoping for a smile or a cheer, but not tears. Vince hauled you into his chest with his free arm as soon as you were close enough, and Vivvy finally stopped cheering in his ear. “Thank you for this gift,” he whispered softly, jostling Vivvy a little.
Warnings: swearing, mentions of emotional manipulation and shitty exes, therapy mention, I think that’s it?
A/N: I feel so awful it took so long to get this out to you guys. I wanted it to be perfect, and it just wasn’t getting there. I finally got to a place where I was really happy with how it ended. I love you all, and I hope you enjoy. As always, my requests are open!
A/N: Also!! I need to give a huge huge HUGE thank-you to @tysojost for reading most of this series before I posted it and giving wonderful feedback that both helped me edit and gave me the motivation to keep writing. You’re the real MVP here dude, thank you so much!!!
Although Melissa had finally gotten used to decoding Southern accents every time she left the house, the weather in Dallas was a whole other story. It was mid-December now, well into the hockey season, and Dallas hadn’t gotten the message it was winter. Sure, she’d needed a sweatshirt some mornings and the typical high had finally dipped below 70, but they’d yet to have the first frost or even the threat of winter weather.
Of course, the warmer weather meant that her and Tyler’s weekly dog park date could continue past the fall. Tyler had wound his way into her life slowly, so slowly that she didn’t even really notice it happening. One charity event turned into two, which turned into Melissa being Tyler’s date to team parties and casual events, which turned into a weekly beer and pizza night, which turned into small routine dates three or four times a week. There was the beer and pizza night, the afternoon dog park date, and usually a hike on a trail or a walk around the city that led to sharing a meal or coffee. They still weren’t dating, at least not in any officially stated capacity; Tyler had given Melissa the lead just like he’d promised, not pushing her any further than what she was willing to give. But it was definitely something.
As if he could sense where her thoughts had gone, Tyler began rubbing circles in her thigh with his thumb. “If this is too much sweetheart, just talk to me.” Earnest eyes met hers when Melissa looked in his direction. “I don’t ever want to push you in a direction you’re not comfortable going.” Tyler’s three dogs barked and nipped playfully at each other as they tore around the fenced-in park, but Melissa ignored the sound in favor of leaning in to Tyler. She’d submitted final grades for her three courses that afternoon, and the waning heat of the sun on her face and the feel of Tyler’s soft t-shirt under her cheek mixed with the bone-deep exhaustion that the end of a semester always brought to create an overwhelming sense of peace.
He grinned when she squeezed the hand rubbing her thigh. “You’re not going too fast, Ty. You’ve been amazing, actually.” It was true. Tyler kissed the top of her head when she leaned deeper into his chest, and then he turned back to the sunset shining golden and red over the park. The temperature was dropping quickly in the air around them, but Melissa couldn’t bring herself to suggest they head back to Tyler’s car. Gerry tore over to the pair and flopped his head on Melissa’s knee. The dog, much like his owner, had grown on her to the point that even just looking at his puppy eyes completely melted every bit of anxiety lingering. Drool dropped down onto her jeans, and Melissa chuckled as she scratched the dog’s head.
Tyler was smiling softly when Melissa looked up again. “How was group last night?” Another weekly thing he’d encouraged her to take part in. There was a group of women who had experienced emotionally manipulative relationships like Melissa’s who met every week at a coffee shop near her townhouse, and it was Tyler who found them and encouraged her to go. She would never have done it on her own, but it had been so helpful to talk with other women about their experiences. Therapy had been helpful, almost a lifesaver in the beginning, but for her that was nothing compared to talking with others who could really get it.
“It was good.” She smiled up at Tyler as Gerry took off to play with the other dogs again. “A new girl came, and we spent a lot of time getting to know her. I don’t think she’d really had anyone to talk to until she met with us, so it was nice to listen and give her advice.” The girl had been young, younger than Melissa’s baby sister, and Melissa had seen red as the girl recounted some of the things her ex had said to her.
A sudden burst of cold wind tugged some of Melissa’s hair from where it sat in a loose braid, and Tyler gently tucked it back in. “You ready for me to take you home?” Tyler’s question brought a frown to Melissa’s face. She wasn’t ready to leave the cocoon Tyler and the dogs had created. She still heard Liam’s voice in her head at inopportune moments, but they were fewer and further in between than ever. These moments with Tyler, whether it be just the two of them or in a crowd of teammates and friends, were moments she never heard his voice anymore. It was like Tyler, with his compliments and touches and consideration for her feelings had effectively banished Liam’s presence from everything Melissa and Tyler.
Maybe it was time for Melissa to take a step for once, instead of waiting for Tyler to do it. “Would it be okay if I went home with you tonight?” She looked out at the treeline rather than at Tyler as she spoke, though a gentle hand gently guided her chin until their eyes met. His eyes, dark and searching, must have found whatever they were looking for. Tyler grinned and tugged Melissa to her feet, only breaking eye contact to whistle at the dogs. The trio tore through the growing twilight past Tyler and Melissa, barking and nipping at each other the entire way. Melissa giggled as the dogs came to a stop at the gate to the park, and she felt lips at her hairline as Tyler pressed another kiss to her forehead.
“You want to stop for dinner, or do you want to cook something together?” Tyler’s thumb rubbed circles on the top of Melissa’s hand as they walked together towards the dogs. “I think I’ve got the stuff to make steak and some mashed potatoes or something.” Melissa nodded an affirmative. He’d been trying to grill her a steak for weeks now, but life kept getting in the way.
“I dunno, a shirtless Tyler manning the grill sounds pretty damn nice to me,” Melissa teased with a laugh, “I think that might be exactly what I need.”
Tyler let out a bark of laughter and hauled her body into his own. He leaned down until his lips were level at her ear. “You want me shirtless pretty girl?” Melissa shivered at Tyler’s whisper. “I’ll take my shirt off if you promise to change out of your work clothes and into my shirt.” He squeezed his hands where they rested on Melissa’s waist, and she nodded into his chest. Her bones felt almost like liquid as Tyler tugged them back into motion, but the smirk on his face said he knew exactly what he was doing.
They spent a majority of the ride back to Tyler’s place with the windows rolled down, much to the pleasure of the three dogs fighting for window space in the backseat. Even with the cold air filtering through the car it felt too hot, largely thanks to the asshole sitting to Melissa’s left. Tyler smirked at the dashboard as he drove, one hand on the steering wheel and the other rubbing small circles on the inside of Melissa’s thigh. He’d known exactly what he was doing when he whispered in her ear at the dog park. It wasn’t even that he’d whispered anything dirty, it was that he knew it would wind her up.
Cash took off for the door to the house as soon as Melissa opened the door to the backseat, and the other two dogs followed closely behind him. Tyler came around to her side of the car. He leaned down to kiss her cheek, and then whipped his shirt off in one movement. Melissa didn’t have a chance to react to the muscle and ink in her face before Tyler shoved his shirt at her. “Go change. I’ll get the steak and shit out.” He took a few steps in the direction of the door linking his garage to the inside before he stopped short and turned to face her again. “Do you want some sweatpants too, or is the shirt gonna be okay?”
Melissa smiled at the consideration. “I think I’ll be okay with the shirt. You tend to keep your house pretty warm.” Tyler smiled in her direction and finished heading inside, leaving Melissa a second to gather her thoughts before she followed. Maybe it was that she was too tired to overthink things for once, but she was finally coming to realize that this thing with Tyler was more than just a really good friendship. She loved him a lot, actually. Tyler’s shirt, still warm from his body and smelling of him, almost fell from her hands at the realization. She loved him.
It was the fastest she’d ever changed. Tyler’s shirt fell just long enough to cover her underwear, and she neatly folded the blouse and chinos she’d worn to work. The sound of rap and Tyler’s poor attempt to sing along led her into the kitchen, where he cooked shirtless with a towel draped over his shoulder. Now that she’d finally caught up with her feelings, a flash of her potential future passed in front of Melissa’s eyes. She could see herself coming home to this view every night.
Tyler looked up as she stepped further into the kitchen, and his grin turned her bones to liquid again. “Hey, pretty girl. Looking good. I like you in my clothes.” It was such a Tyler thing to say, all player and cliches, but Melissa could tell he was being serious. He turned back to the potatoes he was chopping up, and Melissa took a couple more steps forward.
“I love you.” Damn. She hadn’t meant to just blurt it out like that. Tyler barely reacted, except for a flash of a smile down at the cutting board.
Her heart pounded as she waited to see what Tyler would say. “Well it’s about damn time.” Tyler put down the knife, and he flashed that damn smile at Melissa this time instead of the potatoes as he took three large steps in her direction. “Baby I’ve been waiting to hear those words out of your mouth for weeks.” She tried to come up with some kind of sarcastic retort, but hands cupped her cheeks and Tyler’s eyes were meeting hers. “I love you too. I’ve been waiting to tell you until you said it first. I didn’t want to scare you away.” Melissa’s heart turned to goo, and she leaned up to kiss Tyler. It was nice, she decided, initiating things with him.
Tyler pulled back too quickly, and Melissa frowned. “Potatoes. Water is boiling. Don’t want to burn the pot.” He threw a smirk over his shoulder as he strode back to the stovetop. “Steaks are on the grill, potatoes are going in. You want to grab the stuff to make a salad?”
They worked in silence. It probably should have been awkward, especially after Melissa’s outburst upon entering the kitchen, but silence with Tyler really never had been weird. His hand met hers periodically as they made dinner together, and the only time their silence was broken was the handful of times Tyler randomly leaned over to kiss Melissa’s cheek and whisper “I love you” into her skin. It almost felt like a dream.
Come hell or high water, this final part of Wedding Date will be out by noon tomorrow morning. For now, here is a very short teaser paragraph for what’s to come.
Tyler kissed the top of her head when she leaned it on his shoulder, and then he turned back to the sunset shining golden and red over the park. Gerry tore over to the pair and flopped his head on Melissa’s knee. The dog, much like his owner, had grown on her to the point that even just looking at his puppy eyes completely melted every bit of anxiety lingering. Drool dropped down onto her jeans, and Melissa chuckled as she scratched the dog’s head.
I feel like I need to apologize to you again. Life got in the way, and I've been working since about 9 this morning. Needless to say, I am not done writing the final part of Wedding Date. I'm not going to give another time for you guys until it's actually finished because I think life is laughing at me every time I do.
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