Tongue Tied

"This is lame." Alex whined, leaning against Nathan's chest.

They'd been back together for just over a week. They had the privilege of actually being together for it since Nathan has a home stand. But with every home stand followed a road trip. That's what Alex was currently whining about. They were sitting on his bed, watching movies when he told her about the trip. He was sitting up while she was laying back on him. She was pouting currently.

"It's not my fault." He frowned.

"I know but it sucks." She sighed. "We just got back together and now we're gonna have to be apart and," She rolled her eyes.

"You're rambling." He teased.

"I'm mad!" She yelped.

"Don't be mad." He said as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm not mad at you. I'm mad that you're good at hockey." She explained.

He smiled, kissing the side of her head. They finished the movie they were watching before Nathan had to start packing. Alex laid on his bed and watched. She was pulled away by her bracelet. She played with it before she gained Nathan's attention. She looked up at him and caught his smile. She smiled back, sitting up. Her feet hung off the edge of the bed while she watched him.

"Does anyone ever ask you why you picked your number?" She quizzed.He nodded. "I wouldn't tell the guys so they made up something about how two and seven make nine and I was twenty two and Jo was twenty seven." He laughed.

"Why didn't you just tell them?" She shook her head.

"Because they would've mocked me for it." He confessed.

"No, they wouldn't have." She smiled, playing with the blanket.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "What do you know?"

She smiled up at him as he hovered above her. "I might have blabbed about why to some of the guys." She confessed.

"Wow, and nothing was said to me?" He asked.

"Because your teammates aren't as big of assholes as you think." She told him, shoving him by his chest. "And they love me"

"They're alright." He shrugged as he went back to packing. "And I don't know why they'd do that."

She rolled her eyes. "Shut up."

Eventually, the time came for him to have to catch his flight. He had a game in Pittsburgh, then Buffalo, then Detroit, and then they returned to play St. Louis before the short Christmas break. Alex offered to drive him to the airport and pick him up when he came home. He tossed his bag into the back of her car. She frowned, scrolling on her phone as she waited for him. He closed the back door, walking to the passenger's side. He sat and leaned over to her. His lips pecked her cheek, earning him a small smile.

"Guess it's time to go, huh?" She sighed, putting her phone down and taking the car out of park.

He nodded slowly, his hand rubbing her thigh. She drove silently. Nathan just watched her. She had a frown on her face the entire time. She noticed how uncomfortable he must have felt, so she leaned to turn on the stereo. She pressed the CD button and one of her mixes came on. It was the only way Nathan would listen to her music, if she combined it with his. Fever by The Black Keys poured out of the speakers. It was over a year old but both enjoyed it. It had become a song they would sing along to. He smiled at looked at her. She wasn't getting ready to sing. He decided he'd take it into his own hands.

"Fever, where'd you run to?" He sang at her. She rolled her eyes and held back her smile. "Fever, where'd you run to? Acting right is so routine. Fever, let me life a dream." He leaned into her as he sang.

She chuckled. "Stop!"

"Sing with me!" He whined.

She took a deep breath before she screamed out the words. The rest of the ride, the pair screamed the songs that followed. It was helping Alex forget that her boyfriend was about to leave her for nearly a week. She looked over at him as he hit a note in a Luke Bryan song. His eyes were shut and his hand was clenched in a fist. She laughed at him. He opened his eyes and smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you." She said as she watched the road.

"Not as much as I'll miss you." He argued, kissing her cheek.

They arrived at the airport shortly after that. Alex exhaled slowly as Nathan got his things from the back. She climbed out when he closed the back door. She looked up at him, sliding her hands in her back pockets. He stood over her before he brought his lips to hers for a peck. He pulled back and she glared at him. He chuckled, bringing his lips back to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he kissed her. He smiled into it.

"The kids going at it at the airport." Gabe called as he walked past.

Alex sighed as she pulled away from Nathan slowly. "Gabe's just upset that he doesn't have anyone." She teased as she wrapped her arms around Nathan's waist.

Gabe chuckled. "Think what you want, Alex." He sang as he walked inside.

"Let's go, Nathan!" Matt hollered from the airport doors.

Nathan kissed the top of Alex's head before she pulled back. "I love you and I'll see you in no time." He smiled, kissing her forehead.

"I love you too, and when you get back, the old gang'll be here." She smiled up at him.

"Perfect." He breathed out before he kissed her again.

They went their own ways. Nathan timed his wait and when how long it would take Alex to get home. After that amount of time passed, he sent her Snapchat of him and Ryan. They were doing their signature duck faces. She sent one back of her and Alexa cuddling. He sent one back of Ryan mid-sentence with the caption "he's mad he's missing out". She replied with her, Erica, Kya, and Alexa snuggled together. They snapchatted for the rest of the night.

"Hey, Al," Erica called as she scrolled on her phone. "Have you ever looked at Nathan's best friends?"

"You mean like Jo, Z,"

"No, on Snapchat." Erica rolled her eyes.

Alex shrugged. "No, why?" She asked as she went to look.

"Because you aren't one of them." Kya stated.

"What's wrong with that?" Alex laughed as she read them over.

The number one was Tyson, followed by Gabe, and then vanmorganxo. Alex furrowed her brows at that. She went through her contacts to see if she had that person but she didn't. She looked up at the girls. They were all frowning. She exhaled, locking her phone and putting it down beside her. She smiled at them.

"Who is vanmorganxo?" She asked.

"Can I add them?" Alexa cocked a brow.

"Oh my god, don't!" Alex cried.

"I'm doing it." Alexa declared.

She did it and the person accepted instantly. A snap was sent to Alexa. Everyone crowded around her as she held it open. It was a familiar face to Alex. The other three had no idea who she was, which was ironic since she was asking who Alexa was. Alex exhaled sharply. Her eyes squeezed shut as she stood from the floor beside Alexa. She walked over to her bed and sat down.

"You know who that is, don't you?" Erica called.

Alex nodded. "She was on some lame kids' show. She's like twenty five, why does she need to talk to a nineteen year old?" She hissed.

"Fight her." Alexa shrugged.

"You need to ask Nathan about it." Kya pouted.

"Or ignore him until he feels the need to confess." Erica suggested.

"Sounds like a better idea." Alex agreed.

"You're just going to ignore him like he ignored you?" Kya quizzed.

"Yeah, for a couple days, Ky. I'm not moving away after promising him we'd stick it out." Alex spat before she took a deep breath. "I'm just going to go to bed and figure it out tomorrow."

As if he knew, Nathan FaceTimed her. She looked at her friends and rolled her eyes as she declined the call. She sighed, turning her phone off. She pulled her blanket up to her chin, snuggling into her pillow. There was no need to overreact. She'd figure it out tomorrow once her head was clear.

Notes