chapter ten: tiptoeing past so many stages (what the fuck is patience?)
by strwbrryfox | E | Chapter 10/18 | 11.1k | T: 71.8K
tags: hockey au, rivals to teammates to lovers, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, hockeyplayer!alex, hockey player!henry
summary:
Never in his eight-year career in this league had Alex witnessed such an intense and melodramatic reaction to a trade. In theory, he knew that Henry Fox was considered a big deal, but that didn’t mean that he understood why. The fact of the matter was that he knew exactly who Henry Fox was. Henry Fox, Son of Hockey Royalty. Henry Fox, the bane of Alex’s existence.
or, a professional hockey au where nhl superstars alex and henry have been rivals since they were sixteen years old. eleven years later, in a move that completely rocks the entire NHL and its fanbase, they become teammates. alex swears to himself that he just wants to keep his head down, stay in his own lane and play hockey. but, well, alex has never been good at doing either of those things when it comes to henry fox. a few mishaps and a round of damage control later force them to put their differences aside for the sake of their team, and if it also has alex reconsidering his stance on fox quite substantially, that’s no one’s business but his own, right?
SUITLESS VADER'S WIFE (or, what i wore to comic con)
Wanted to share my outfit that I wore at comic con in Essen, Germany! I really am happy with how this outfit turned out, just how I envisioned it. I wore a beautiful sleeveless black dress with a high neck. The dress has these gold chains at the sides which clashed with the silver in my shoes, so I used black ribbon that I tied around my waist to cover them up. I think it really adds to the outfit (the ribbon hanging down makes it look very Jedi™). I also found the most beautiful sparkly belt last minute and wore it as well. Hanging from the belt by a bobby pin (lol had to get creative) is a glittery red lightsaber that I made myself.
The shoes are my favourite part (but my god, how they were painful). When I found these shoes, I had a lightbulb moment as they reminded me of the three buckles on Anakin's glove. I couldn't pass them up. I really think they made the outfit complete!
Of course, I couldn't forget my purple heart sign. All in all, a nice outfit that I felt really cute in!
dress: guess
shoes: stradivarius
belt: primark (the lightsaber was made by me)
heart sign: made by me
not pictured is my anakin tote bag and purple shoulder bag—both handmade and altered by me 💜
If you want, you can find my thoughts and onions about the con below the cut 💜✨
Going to this convention was... Bittersweet. It was an event I looked forward to for a very long time. I'm not going to get into it, but I’m sure most of you here know what happened.
I feel happy for everyone who got to meet Hayden this weekend. How exciting it must've been to talk to him, to hold him and to be around him — even if for only a second or two. But a part of me feels saddened, heart stings just a little seeing those photos because I keep thinking "how would this convention have been like had that been me?"
As the weekend passes, I now feel a sense of "when life gives you lemons". Because while it was a sad experience for everyone who had gotten tickets to see him, there still came some good out of it.
I am happy that I decided to go anyway. There were thoughts of "there's no reason" at the beginning. But I’m glad I did go. If I hadn’t, I wouldn’t had the opportunity to spend three days with the kindest soul who I am so incredibly grateful and lucky to call my friend. @crumblekitty and all the other amazing people at the convention made everything better on that beautiful Saturday in Germany. I had the opportunity to meet so many lovely people at this convention. We shared stories together about Hayden. We took photographs, traded polaroids and friendship bracelets. Heartbroken signs of pink and purple passed around...
Even though Hayden didn't show this time, I'm certain that he will be back again. It will be a day to remember...
So there's a story I've been trying to write since I was about sixteen and have mostly been failing at, but I found on my laptop part of a draft of it from back then (I think I started it for Creative Writing class in high school and then realized it didn't fit the requirements)
(At least this font and color aren't hideous; I had a habit of changing those constantly 'til pretty much I adopted Scrivener in 2013).
VERSUS the book when I was in my early-twenties when I wrote it (which was the last time I took a crack at this particular character's story).
With my hectic schedule at the minute, I’m contemplating updating only once a week - either Monday or Friday, but I’ll let you all know if I decide to do this.
Disclaimer - All recognisable characters belong to their original owners. I do not make a profit from writing this; I simply do it for my own amusement. No copyright infringement intended.
Chapter Fifteen
Jake
The shifter sighed as he sat on the cliffs of La Push and watched the waves crash on the rocks below him. He and Nessie had had another fight, that was two in the last week and both were his fault… well, maybe not the first one but the second one definitely was.
The first one had happened after she had drunk from him.
Once Jake had offered up his services to provide Nessie with nutrients, they had headed to his office for some privacy. Jake could feel the conflict rolling off of her in waves.
“Jake-” Nessie began, “You really don’t have to do this.” Jake was sure if she didn’t have an injured hand that she would be wringing her hands together.
“I know I don’t have to, I want to,” he told her. His words didn’t help her.
They settled on the couch together and Nessie asked him to remove his shirt. She had a feeling that as it was her first time feeding she would most likely make a mess.
“It’s not too late to say no,” she remarked but Jake had just shaken his head and smiled.
“I’m not going to say change my mind, Nessie - you need this and I want to do this for you.” Nessie looked at Jake in his eyes, no doubt trying to make sure that he was telling the truth. When she was sure, she nodded her head and opened her mouth, her fangs descended as she licked her lips.
“Wrist or neck?” Jake asked, wanting her to make the choice she was most comfortable with.
Nessie looked between both points on his body before gesturing to his wrist. “Wrist - less dangerous.” Her reasoning was that if she lost control, she was less likely to kill him drinking from his wrist (in her mind anyway).
Jake held his wrist out and Nessie took ahold of him, running her finger over the russet skin as she felt his pulse. Her mouth watered and she looked at Jake once more and saw nothing but certainty in his eyes.
“Thank you,” she whispered quickly before she brought his wrist up to her mouth and kissed the skin. He smiled but then grimaced as her fangs bit through his skin and she began to suck. The wolf part of him was torn; half wanted to jerk her back and away from him, but the other wanted to look after his imprint.
Nessie took a few mouthfuls and moaned, Jake hardening at the sound as he tried to control himself.
His imprint pulled away, fangs still down as a small trail of blood ran down the side of her mouth. Using his good hand, Jake placed it against her face and used his thumb to wipe it away, unable to take his eyes off her. She looked glorious.
It took three seconds for the dam to break between them and suddenly Jake was on his back with Nessie on top of him, kissing him hard. Her mouth tasted metallic but Jake really couldn’t care less as he laid down and pulled her legs either side of him so she was straddling him. He then grasped her peach shaped ass in his massive hands and squeezed, lining her up with his cock.
Nessie moaned into his mouth and kissed him harder, her fangs scraping his lips as she ground down onto him, heating rising throughout her body. Jake squeezed her ass in response and kissed her back, arching off the couch slightly until she placed her hands on his shoulders and forcefully pushed him back down. She wanted to run this show.
Leaving his lips, Nessie kisses the side of his mouth and then down his jaw to his neck where she could hear the blood pulsing through his body. It called to her like a siren’s song. Without thinking she bit down on his neck and let the sweet nectar flow into her mouth, lapping up everything she could but still making a mess in the process.
Jak didn’t care. She could take what she wanted as long as she kept grinding on him. His hands moved from her ass to her waist and he crept his fingers up the back of her t-shirt so he could feel some of her skin, moaning as he slid her fingers up her spine.
Jake rolled his head to the side so she could get easier access as he thrust his hips up to meet hers.
“Nessie,” he groaned as he closed his eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of her writing on top of him, the suction of her lips a pleasant addition.
As if she had been shocked, Nessie pulled back from his neck and stared at him, her eyes no longer blazing with the heat they had been earlier.
Sensing the atmosphere change, Jake pulled his hands from her back and went to put them on her hips but she shot off him and stood in the middle of the room, a hand across her mouth as she focused on his neck.
Jake’s large fingers immediately went to the skin there but the holes were already healing, although it did feel slightly sticky, and a quick look down revealed that his shirt had some blood on it.
“Nessie,” Jake said again, this time in a completely different voice.
She shook her head and backed away. “I’m sorry,” she murmured, completely appalled at herself for what had just happened. “I shouldn’t have-” she shook her head again as the words failed to come.
“Nessie,” Jake attempted for the third time. “You did nothing wrong.” But she was still shaking her head.
“I bit your wrist - and then your neck… and I enjoyed it!” Suddenly, he understood.
“You’re a vampire, it’s only natural,” he reasoned. “I enjoyed it too.” Had she not been so distraught he would have dropped his jeans and shown her just how enjoyable he had found the whole situation.
“I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry!” she exclaimed before she whizzed out of the room and left him standing there, feeling horny and completely useless.
Realising he couldn’t go back out the to bar covered in blood he had slipped off his t-shirt and grabbed a spare he always kept in his office. He then headed back into the bar, not sure what to do.
That was their first fight. They’d made up soon after and spent the entire night in his trailer, defiling every inch of it they could; the walls, the floor, the breakfast bar, the couch and the bed. It was bliss.
Their second fight had happened last night after they’d gone on patrol. Jake had been watching Nessie in his wolf form as they just sat and looked at the stars. The urge to tell her about the imprint had been so strong he couldn’t deny it.
Jake ran behind the trees and phased quickly, pulling on his shorts and nothing else before emerging and watching Nessie for a few moments. She was beautiful; silhouetted against the moon, her hair cascading down her back and her skin practically glowing in the moonlight.
He sat down next to her.
“What wrong?” she has asked him quietly. His heartbeat was fast and loud and he his palms felt incredibly sweaty.
“I need to tell you something,” he started as he wiped his hands against his shorts. “I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to ruin anything.” Nessie simply gave him a sweet smile, her way of telling him to continue. “I imprinted on you Nessie.”
The conversation had gone downhill from then on. When he explained what he meant, Nessie had been quiet before she stood up and asked him if imprinting was the only reason he was with her. He’d told her no but she’s accused him of lying. The worst part of the conversation was when he had tried to follow her into the forest and she had whirled around with anger in her eyes.
“Don’t you dare come near me, Jacob Black!” she had shouted, anger making her small body shake as her fangs dropped and she hissed as he stepped closer. “You’re a manipulative asshole who was only ever using me for sex!” With those final words she had turned on her heel and ran from him, his own body frozen to the spot as he watched her leave.
After she had left he’d stayed there, looking at the spot she had previously vacated before shedding his clothes and shifting and running; just running. He wasn’t going anywhere in particular but he wanted to get out of his head and forget about her, even if for a while.
That had been a few hours ago and when his legs began to cramp he ran to the cliffs and felt the ocean spray on his face. Looking at the sun he realised he was probably overdue and should head into work - it was almost midday.
Jake stood from the cliffs and once more stripped himself before letting the wolf take over as he ran towards the bar.
It didn’t take him long to dress and as he walked across the car park he saw Rosalie’s truck, Esme’s car and Victoria’s convertible and a few other cars in the car park. He was thankful as it meant that Black’s shouldn’t be too busy - he didn’t want to deal with too many customers today.
Jake walked into the bar and saw Rose and Bella both behind the bar looking nervously at each other and Victoria serving a customer across the other side of the room. The second she saw him she stomped across and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Where the hell have you been?” she asked, cocking her head to the side as she tapped her foot as they did in the movies.
“I was busy,” he told her, sniffing the air and smelling Esme but not being able to see her.
“Where’s Esme?”
“That’s why I wondered where you’ve been!” Victoria exasperated as she threw her hands up in the air. “I tried ringing your phone and you didn’t answer,” of course he hadn’t, he’d left it in his office, “because Esme’s having to cook today as Tyler never turned up for work.”
“What?” Jake questioned, turning his attention to her. “Where is he?” Victoria shrugged her shoulders and Bella made a motion with her head for Jake to come over.
“What’s going on?” he inquired, feeling completely out of the loop.
“Tyler’s not here,” Rose began.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Jake interrupted.
“He’s been kidnapped by the coven,” Bella told him. Jake’s face scrunched up but she continued to talk. “They’re planning to make the vampires walk into the sun today-” Bella was cut off by the sheer look of panic on Jake’s face.
“Nessie - Nessie -” Jake queried as hundreds of different scenarios manifested themselves in his head.
“Calm down,” Rose interjected. “They're going to silver themselves-”
“Silver!” Jake shouted as he began to back away from Rose and Bella and towards the door.
“Jake, there’s nothing you can do,” Esme asserted as she came out of the kitchen, an apron around her waist, after hearing their conversation.
Jake was shaking his head. “I need to - I have to… go,” he gasped as terror made his heart pound and the cables pulling him to Nessie tightened around his heart. He turned and ran, stumbling into a chair on his way out and pulling his shirt off before he had even got to the parking lot.
He heard Bella calling after him, but he couldn’t stop, he had to make sure that Nessie was alright.
***
Edward
Edward closed his eyes and swallowed as he began to feel the urge to struggle and fight against the chains. It has been slowly building for the past half an hour.
Nessie was stirring lightly next to him. She’d managed to get some sleep but Edward didn’t. He couldn’t. His mind was whirring with what to do next.
When Nessie let out a hiss, Edward turned to watch her as she tried to turn her wrists, but the silver burned too badly.
“Try not to struggle,” he told her quietly. “It’ll make it worse, just relax.”
Nessie nodded and when she bit her bottom lip out of anxiety, Edward saw that her fangs had already descended.
The need to move and the urge to fight the silver started low in Edward’s gut and he could feel his fingers tingling as he clenched them tightly into the palm of his hand.
“Edward,” Nessie whimpered, her own fingers clawing at the cot as she too felt the need to get up and walk into the sun.
“Tell me about Jacob,” Edward suggested. “Tell me about him, Nessie.” He was trying to get her mind off what was happening to them. The two guards outside the jail cell, Juan and Rick, shifted nervously.
“Jacob,” Nessie whispered, a smile forming on her face as she thought about the man who made her heat up from the inside out. “He’s kind and wonderful and handsome and- Ah!” she finished the sentence with a cry as he body arched and the spell began to take hold.
“And what, Nessie?” Edward asked through gritted teeth, his own body burning as his fangs dropped.
“He makes me… he makes me…” her voice trailed off as the power of the spell increased and she shrieked, Edward joining her as his body arched and burned, the silver searing into his flesh as his desire to walk into the sun doubled.
Nessie and Edward screamed out, both in frustration and agony. The sun was at its highest point in the sky now and the spell was at its strongest. Juan and Rick looked into the jail cell and exchanged a glance.
Edward kept Bella’s face at the forefront of his mind. Her name was like a mantra on his tongue as he began to chant it, attempting to keep himself focused on not frying. He replayed memories of their time together; the first time he drank her blood, the first time they kissed, the first time they exchanged ‘I love you’s’ and the first time they slept together. They played on repeat as he imagined her warm skin, brown eyes and brown hair. It was her face that held him tighter to the cot than the silver ever could. He wouldn’t walk into the sun for her.
Edward was drawn out of his Bella induced haze by the sound of chains clinking and to his horror he watched as Nessie rose from her cot, throwing her chains to the floor as she let out an almighty growl.
“Lie down!” Juan demanded, raising his gun to Nessie as she stumbled towards the cell door and hissed. “Lie down!” He attempted again, holding his finger over the trigger, not wanting to shoot her but knowing he might not have a choice.
“Nessie - do as he says!” Edward shouted, panic settling into the pit of his stomach.
In response, Nessie growled and grabbed the end of the gun through the bars and pulled Juan close to her. When he was at the bars she tossed the gun on the ground and grabbed him by his collar before she slammed his head into the bars. It only took one blow and he was dead.
“No!” Edward shouted, fighting against the restraints but for a completely different reason now.
Rick paled and began to shake as he tried to aim his gun as Nessie but failed.
“Nessie, stop!” Edward shouted feebly from his cot but she wasn’t listening. The spell had taken over and was compelling her to find the sun.
Edward’s young progeny placed her hands on the jail cell bars and slid them open, hissing as the silver burned away at her flesh.
Rick stood still, his back against the wall, his entire body shaking like a leaf.
Watching Nessie open the cell, not caring about the silver made Edward realise he didn’t have a choice left. “Nessie - as your maker I command you to stop!” His voice echoed around the room and Nessie froze, snarls erupting from her throat.
It only lasted a few seconds before she began to walk away from him, much to Edward’s horror. His maker command hadn’t worked. It should have done. He was useless. There was nothing he could do to stop Nessie walking into the sun.
“Shoot her!” He commanded Rick. “Shoot her in the leg!”
Rick didn’t move; his eyes were fixated on the copper-haired vampire stalking towards him.
Nessie hissed once more and that seemed to snap Rick out of his fear-induced state. Raising his gun slightly he pulled the trigger, a bullet lodging itself in Nessie’s leg as she let out a scream.
But once again, it didn’t deter her. She leapt towards Rick and the last thing Edward saw was his face, fear written all over it and his mouth opened to scream - a sound that never made it out.
“Nessie - please stop!” Edward begged as she dropped Rick’s lax body on the floor and made her way up the stairs and towards the sun.
“Think about Jake!” Were his last words to her as she disappeared and Edward waited for the agony to come that came with losing a progeny.
***
Jacob
He could hear the screams; hear Edward shouting for Nessie as he tugged on his shorts and ran up to Edward’s house.
“Woah!” A man’s voice said before Jake felt a hand on his arm, swinging him around to face him. “Where do you think you’re going?” Jake took in his uniform and summarised that they were some of the guards that watched Edward’s house during the day.
“I need to get inside,” he told him, attempting to walk away, but being stopped by the hand tightening on his arm.
“I can’t let you do that,” the guard told him and Jake felt his blood boil. Didn’t he understand that his imprint needed him?
“You don’t understand,” Jake began, stopping when the metallic scent of blood hit him. He tried to shake the man off but his grip tightened and he placed his hand on the gun on his belt; a warning.
“Everything alright, Levi?” A voice asked and Jake watched a guard come to his side.
“It will be,” Levi responded, his eyes narrowing on Jake.
A gunshot suddenly sounded from inside the house and when the two guards turned to look at the building, Jake used it as his opportunity.
“Sorry,” he apologised before he swung both his arms up, grasped their heads in his large hands and banged their heads together, knocking them unconscious and most likely giving them nasty headaches when they woke up.
Jake leapt over their bodies, up the stairs just in time to see Nessie open the door on the sun and scream when it hit her skin.
Without thinking, Jake threw himself on her, blocking the sun from touching her as they both fell to the floor; Nessie’s scream changing to one of anger.
Using his long legs he kicked the front door shut before Nessie growled and flipped Jake onto his back.
When he looked into her eyes he didn’t recognise the person staring back at him. She looked feral, dangerous and angry. He vaguely registered Edward shouting for her.
“Nessie!” he shouted as she put her hands on his shoulders and slammed his torso into the ground. She opened her mouth, fangs gleaming and at that moment Jake knew she was going to bite him. But unlike last time he doubted that it would be as pleasurable for either of them. He didn’t care though if it made sure she didn’t walk into the sun she could drain him dry (if that were even possible).
Jake shut his eyes tightly and prayed that it wouldn’t hurt too much. But the bite never came and the weight on his shoulders disappeared.
Carefully, Jake opened one eye and found Nessie sat on him, red tears streaming down her face as her hand covered her mouth.
“Nessie?” he questioned, watching as her tears fell harder and a sob broke out from underneath her hand. He looked into her eyes and the monster he had seen moments before was gone and his Nessie was back.
“Jake…” she whispered. “Oh, Jake - I’m so sorry.” she whimpered and Jake pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist he sat up and tucked her face under his chin as he soothed her and ran a warm hand up and down her spine.
“I’ve got you,” he reassured her. “You’re safe now.” When she sobbed harder, he held her tighter and gently rocked her.
After a short time, she raised her head, the underneath of her eyes stained red as she brought her face up to his.
“Thank you,” she mumbled, placing her hands on either side of her face before she pressed a gentle kiss to his lips.
“We should probably get you back downstairs,” he quietly said. He didn’t want to move, but if the witches were to cast another spell he doubted he would be able to stop her a second time.
Nessie nodded and before she could move, Jake had her in his arms bridal style as he carried her back into the basement and towards a screaming Edward.
“Nessie?” Edward asked as they descended the stairs and he saw Jake. “Jacob - thank God.” He leaned his head back on the cot and allowed himself the relax slightly. He had never been so relieved to see the shifter in the entire time he had known him.
Nessie let out a whimper when she saw the bodies of Juan and Rick sprawled out on the floor, her eyes going wide and more tears leaking out of her eyes.
“No,” Edward said. “Do not feel guilty.” his tone was harsh but he wasn’t angry at her. “This is not your fault - Maria did this. She compelled you to walk into the sun - she made you into a monster.” His words didn’t help. Nessie still felt responsible.
Jake laid her on the cot and knelt down next to her, pushing her hair out of her face and wiping away the tears. She placed a hand on his and held it to her face, eyes closing as she let his warmth calm her.
Edward let them have a moment, but he was worried that the coven would cast another spell and soon.
“Jacob - you need to silver Nessie,” he prodded him. Jake looked horrified at the thought. “I know you don’t want to, but she might walk into the sun if you don’t.”
“Edward, I can’t. I can’t hurt her,” Jake responded as he tore his eyes away from Nessie’s face and turned slightly to look at her maker.
“You don’t have a choice, Jake - if they conduct another spell, she might die.” It was that word - die - that made Jake cringe.
“It’s alright,” Nessie told him. “I understand.” For the first time since they had got together, Nessie leaned in and kissed Jake in front of Edward, just a small peck, to show him that it was alright.
As Nessie lay back on the cot, Jake went over to the holdall in the corner and pulled out more silver chains. He started by using the chains that had been on her before; he chained her wrist and her ankles and when Edward urged him, he silvered her neck too.
He was shaking by the time he was done. It went against his nature to hurt his imprint, but he needed to do this.
Nessie gave Jake a small smile before she closed her eyes, exhaustion taking over now that the spell had ended.
“Thank you, Jacob,” Edward told him gratefully, looking at his progeny as she drifted to sleep. “If you hadn’t come when you did...” he shook his head unable to finish the sentence. It didn’t bear thinking about.
Before Jake could respond two sets of footsteps thundered down the stairs and Levi and the other guard appeared. Both were sporting large red blotches to their foreheads and neither looked best pleased to see Jake stood there.
“It’s alright,” Edward told them just as Levi raised his gun. “Jake is a friend.”
Levi was silent and then his mouth opened. “He knocked us out!” Edward did his best to stifle a chuckle and Jake had the decency to look sheepish.
“Yeah - uh… sorry about that,” he apologised, shoving his hands deep in his pockets.
“Levi - it’s fine.” Edward reasoned with his guard. “If Jake agrees, I would like him to spend the rest of the day with us. We might need him again.” Jake nodded.
Levi took a second to study his boss and the man who had assaulted him. “Alright,” he begrudgingly agreed.
“I’m going to grab a shirt from Nessie’s bedroom,” Jake told them, watching Edward nod as the two guards moved out of his way.
As he walked up the stairs he was vaguely aware of Edward issuing orders to the guards but Jake didn’t pay any attention.
Hubby and I went to Saint Phillip’s Venue today. It is an historical building here in Rouen, France. There is so many historical places in my kingdom that I would love to visit. This place is beyond beautiful. Definitely can’t wait to host an event here.
Versace Blazer By @zenayaxgelila ( @afrosimtricsimmer )
