Love You in All Your Forms

Claire awakes to Zetterberg poking her side. "Z!" Claire moans. "Up, time for breakfast." He responds. Claire opens her eyes, then shoots up. She is in an apartment, but it's not her apartment. It's also not Z's. "Moore." Zetterberg responds, grinning. "Shut up," Claire punches his shoulder and rolls to her feet. "Coffee?" She asks. "Kitchen." Z says.

As Claire walks into the kitchen, with Z's heavy footfalls behind her, she sees Dominic bent over a pan of eggs at the stove top. "Hey Dom," she says. He smiles, "Hey. Coffee is over here." Dominic points to the coffee pot a few feet from where he stands. "How are you feeling? Hungover?" Dominic asks. "No." Both Zetterberg and Claire say at the same time. "She's just not a morning person." Z chuckles. Claire sighs, pours a cup of coffee, and sits at the table. Dominic looks at Claire for a minute, questioningly, then turns back to the eggs. "Here ya go." Dominic says as he sits a plate with scrambled eggs and bacon in front of Claire. "Thank you," Claire says before digging into her food. Dominic, Claire, and Zetterberg engaged in small talk; Dominic repeatedly stole glances at Claire.

Zetterberg stands, "I need to go." He shakes Dominic's hand and wraps Claire in a bear hug. After Dominic hears the apartment door shut, he looks at Claire and says, "You two seem close."

"Yeah," Claire smiles. "He's like my big brother."

"What was that he was saying about you not being a morning person?"

"Oh," Claire blushed. "When I turned eighteen, he and some other guys drove me up to Toronto. I had so much to drink, and the next morning Z thought I was hungover. I was just being normal," she laughs. "He figured this out when I came and spent a week with him in Sweden, sans alcohol."

Dominic grins. "Katie could never handle her drinks. She could get fall over drunk from one beer."

"You miss her a lot, huh?" Claire asks softly.

He smiles sadly at her, "Yeah, not a day goes by that I don't."

"I'm sorry." Claire places a gentle hand on his shoulder. Dominic whispers, "Thanks."

After a few moments of silence, Claire thanked Dominic for his gracious hospitality. As she left the kitchen, belongings in hand, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek. When Claire got home, she decides a shower is in order before she starts work. After that, Claire begins sketching ideas for the company she's now under contract with. A few "Maybes" and a pile of "No's" later, Claire's phone lights up with a text from Zetterberg: HE LIKES YOU, A LOT. Claire shakes her head and replies: HOW DO YOU KNOW? PLZ TELL ME YOU DID NOT SAY SOMETHING TO HIM?! A few minutes later her phone lights up with his response: I DIDN'T BUT I SAW THE WAY HE KEPT LOOKING AT YOU. "Aaargh," Claire lifts her head to the heavens. The last time she was in a relationship was..well, never. Not a REAL relationship, anyways. WELL, YOU AREN'T THE ONLY SWEDE WHO THINKS SO. LUNDQVIST IS TRYING HIS HAND AT MATCH MAKING, ALSO. She decides to take a break from work and talking to Z, and call her oldest friend. "Hey, Grandpa, how are you?"

After Claire left, Dominic had sat there and cried. He was so torn. He will always love and miss Katie, but he can't deny his feelings for Claire. He almost felt like he was betraying Katie, but he hasn't had these strong of emotions for anyone since Katie. He needed to talk to someone who knew Katie, well, and missed her as much as he did. So, without even thinking, he dialed the number. "Hey, Mrs. Urbanic it's Dominic."

Notes

So sorry for the repeated long break..I WILL DO BETTER.

P.s. Urbanic was Katie's maiden name.