How We Got Here - Josh Anderson
Summary: Josh has been dating Tom's sister since juniors and Tom has never appreciated the line being crossed and so their rivalry continues on ice but is forced to be set aside at the demand of the one woman who can force them to set aside differences.
Josh Anderson x Tom Wilson's!sister
Author's note: Yes, this was entirely inspired by the playoffs bench fight that unravelled. No I've not written for him before but...I also have no reason not to write for him.
Word count: 1.9k
As much as y/n loves Josh and her brother, the days that they play against each other are probably the worst days of her year.
Off ice they seem to able to settle down and just tolerate each other. But on ice it's like every fibre of their beings holds some sort of seething rage that can only be satisfied by fighting each other.
"Do you think Martin would let me pay him off to make sure you don't have a shift over lap with Tom?" Y/n asks making Josh look at her in amusement. "Well the two of you won't stay away from each other."
"I never approach him." Josh argues but they both know that's a lie.
"Would it be so hard to just...not fight him?" Y/n asks batting her eyelashes at the older man. "Pretty please."
"Ok." Josh nods holding her face with one hand as he squishes her lips and leans down for a kiss feeling her muscles fight his hold as he kisses her. "I won't fight him unprovoked."
Given that Tom is probably one of the players who provokes other players the most, second to Brad Marchand, y/n isn't very convinced punches won't be exchanged.
"You know we're going to dinner with him after the game." Y/n reminds hims while Josh shoots her a smile.
"I know."
Y/n sighs as she decides to finally get up and start getting ready though Josh completely comes to a stand still so he can watch her and just admire.
"Don't stare." Y/n smiles while Josh takes the challenge.
"I can help instead if that's better eh?" Josh offers cheekily while y/n laughs when she nudges her out the way, as usual forgetting his own strength in comparison to y/n, to choose her underwear for the day while she stumbles from the knock. "These ones."
Y/n looks at the bright red thong which he bought for her only a couple weeks ago, something he does quite often as a result of ripping so many pairs off of her in a post-game adrenaline come down.
"Great. I'll wear them. Can you stop digging around my underwear now?" Y/n laughs since he doesn't seem to stop after handing her the pair he'd picked out.
"What happened to what's mine is yours eh?" Josh asks moving up behind her and hugging her tightly.
"You want to wear thongs now?" Y/n hums earning a fake laugh.
"Hurry up. We have to get going soon." Josh instructs while y/n grins at him innocently.
-
Y/n sighs taking her spot in the stands, she's not right at the front preferring to be away from the chaos. Especially with it being the playoffs and Habs just being a very enthusiastic crowd.
Y/n did send Tom a text wishing him good luck which got a thumbs up since her brother is minimal for texting.
Josh and Tom seem to behave during the first period, though there's some tussling between some of their teammates and a few penalties handed out but the two men she's concerned about have kept it clean. They comes the first intermission and admittedly, after all the games she's attended y/n does find waiting for it pretty boring.
Then the second period starts and Duhaime finds himself with a couple penalties. The Canadiens are leading 3-2 but it's as the whistle blows and the second period is over. But it's as the teams clear from their benches and get out to the ice to head to the locker rooms Tom suddenly goes for Arber Xhekaj and within a second Josh has went for Tom.
Josh falls into the bench as the linesman tries to get between the two large men but Tom and Josh are at each other and like a lot of the crowd y/n stands to see what the hell is going on as they both seem to fall to the ground between the boards and the bench.
"What the fuck are they doing?" Y/n grumbles to herself as the overwhelming cheers of the crowd around her seemingly loses their minds.
Eventually Josh is pulled off of her brother and pushed back off the ice towards their locker room with Arber also being directed to get off.
Y/n is almost deafened by the roar of cheers at the sight of Josh before he disappears down the tunnel.
Unsurprisingly penalties still get dished out to the two with 2 minutes for roughing and 10 minute misconducts but y/n is sure they'll be more to it once the game is over and the NHL has reviewed it.
The game finishes with the Canadiens winning 6-3 and the Bell centre is just losing the plot.
But y/n waits for the two men deciding to deal with her older brother first and if there's one thing to know about him, he does dote on his baby sister. He just doesn't approve of her taste in men. Despite Josh and y/n's relationship spanning since 2013. They've been together since they were teenagers and Tom has learned to deal with it.
"I wasn't going for Josh." Tom immediately states almost childish in his own defence under his sister's disapproving gaze.
"You went for Arber after the whistle Tom." Y/n frowns crossing her arms. "And you did not have to follow him into that bench."
"He practically dragged me in there, y/n. You better be having words with him too."
"Oh trust me he is not in the right either. But I'd be failing as a sister if I didn't give you a piece of my mind." Y/n states while Tom grumbles. "You know you looked ridiculous."
Being bullied and shamed by his little sister is probably the worst part of the fight. She really knows how to make him feel dumb for acting the way he does sometimes, especially if he acts like that towards Josh.
Though he knows from the few times himself and Josh have talked at family events or just over the summer when they are visiting that y/n gives Josh a similar treatment. So he has no doubt that y/n has some sharp words for Josh too.
"I'll see you at dinner." Y/n states making sure it's clear that he doesn't have an option in the matter though she's sure the last thing they want it to be forced to sit through a dinner.
Y/n heads to where Josh is waiting already, practically already wincing as she walks up to him.
"You seriously took him into the bench?"
"I didn't mean to end up in the bench. The door opened." Josh states in his own defence before he tries a sweet smile in hopes of softening her as his hands find her waist. "I only went to my teammates defence eh?"
"It's not going to blow over Josh. People were making memes about it before the second intermission was over." Y/n frowns though she can't find it in herself to be as harsh on Josh as she was with Tom. It's always so much easier to be mean to siblings.
Josh wisely chooses not to make comment about that and instead just waits for y/n to speak again.
"Both of you looked stupid-even if the crowd loved seeing it." Y/n huffs making Josh hum a little since he's already over it. "Josh...He's going to be your brother-in-law officially."
"He doesn't know that yet." Josh shrugs earning a sigh. "You know neither of us are going to apologise."
"Yeah yeah, pride and ego of athletes is something I should've avoided after growing up with Tom." Y/n mutters to herself. "Come on, we need to change for dinner."
There's a lot of people who would probably advise against forcing the two men to sit down for a meal together but y/n has already told the rest of the family and she doesn't want to leave it too long before Tom is informed. She's already risked a family member telling him by accident.
The two find themselves sitting across from Tom a couple hours later and the uncomfortable atmosphere was inevitable.
"Look, I wouldn't have forced the two of you into each other's company after that game if I didn't have good reason." Y/n states looking at Tom who narrows his eyes.
"Are you pregnant?"
"No-but even if I was, I'm old enough for you to not look so disapproving." Y/n huffs since she's nearing 30, hardly a risk of a teen pregnancy scandal.
"I was just checking." Tom shrugs then looking at Josh who is a little amused by the sibling bickering between the two.
"Josh proposed." Y/n sighs leaning back in her seat a little as Tom processes the news then nods and smiles at the two.
"Congratulations. It's about time." Tom smiles since as much as y/n might be in a relationship with his rival, she's also very happy and in love and he sees that. "Well you might not be the best at fighting but at least you don't fumble the best woman you could ever be so lucky to have."
"Aw Tom." Y/n coos with a small laugh and Josh nods in agreement to that fact.
"I take it this isn't an opportunity to ask me to be your best man."
"There's no chance of that." Josh grins then shifting when y/n elbows his side with warning to behave. "But thank you."
"Well with that news, I'll foot the bill for the meal as a gift-and send another gift as well." Tom adds since y/n makes a face at the idea of a meal being the gift and again Josh is smiling in amusement over y/n clearly being the one in charge, which he's used to with himself but it's quite fun seeing Tom be put in his place by his little sister.
Thankfully they all seem to settle with the arrival of their food orders and y/n takes the lead in carrying conversation away from the news and mainly discussing family stuff while both men know to keep responses to a minimal but enough for her to feel like they're listening.
When they finish and the bill comes, Tom covers it as promised and then they sit for a bit longer before exchanging goodbyes. Y/n giving her older brother a hug while Tom and Josh settle for a friendly handshake.
Y/n and Josh head home, arriving back and both are more than happy to just settled down for the day.
"I think he took that well eh?" Josh asks earning a nod from the younger woman before she moves to hug him and he smiles at the feeling.
He actually expected y/n to stay mad at himself and Tom for a few days after that fight. Especially since it's not the first penalty Josh has had against her brother just in this round of the playoffs.
"So am I forgiven?"
"If you two take another fight into the benches again I'm telling my mom." Y/n declares earning a fake gasp of horror.
"Your mom loves me."
"Maybe but she'll happily yell at both of you if you act up like that." Y/n hums while Josh hums cupping her face as he starts to gently push her backwards towards the bedroom.
"How about...I make it up to my fiancé and earn my forgiveness eh?" Josh offers making y/n grin before she comes to a stop and is pushed back on the bed.
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