The Best is Yet to Come

Olli's P.O.V.

Christmas had always been a fairly big deal to me. But this was the first year I'd be spending it without my parents and brothers. You see last year when I was in London they were able to make it for the holiday. But this year the weather was so bad in Pittsburgh their flight got canceled and I couldn't do anything about it. You can't exactly drive here from Finland.

I was kinda ok with it though, I had Nicole and besides hockey she's all in really needed to be content. We were discussing our plans for the Christmas break when she told me her parent and sister were driving here from Québec.

"So since you're parents aren't able to make it, do you want to have dinner at my place?" She asked while she sat in my lap out on her balcony on a cold, yet sunny day.

"I'd love to." I replied leaning down placing a kiss on her temple.

"Well there's one thing... My parents are coming." She asked with a hint of nervousness in her voice.

"Umm... Ok." I didn't really know what to say.

"But they don't know we're dating. And after my last boyfriend I had they don't really trust many guys."

"Ok. On that day I will not be your boyfriend I will be your awkward friend." I smiled.

"Cool. And since my whole family, except for my sister is sports addicted I recommend you learn a little about football." She looked up at me, "and from our last conversation about it, you need all the help you can get. No offense but you're kinda clueless."

"Ya... You should help me." I told her.

"How in the hell could I do that?"

"For starters we could go inside, and then we can drink hot chocolate and watch a game, then you can quiz me afterwards." I suggested.

"That sounds like an excellent plan, if I don't fall asleep on the couch first." She laughed as we stood up and headed back inside her vanilla candle scented apartment.

"Umm where are we all gonna eat when they get here?" She asked looking around her dining room tableless living space.

"Well... Maybe you could do a buffet thing on your island and then we could eat at the coffee table." I suggested.

"That sounds like a really good plan." She said as we snuggled up in the couch, hot coco in hand, "ok let's see what games on TV today."

She flipped channels until she landed on a game that was the Broncos I recognized another team I had no idea.

"Perfect. San Diego at Denver. This is great you'll get to see Peyton Manning in action, he's had a great season so far this year. And the Chargers... I hate Rivers!"

"Rivers? You mean like the type of water feature?" I asked.

"No, oh my gosh, he's the QB for the Chargers." She clarified.

"QB means quarterback right?" I asked hoping I got some thing right.

"Yes! Very good!" She smiled and leaned over to give me a kiss as a reward.

We continued to watch the game and the Broncos won 17-7. With 2 touchdowns and a field goal, at least that's what Nic told me. She told me what a first down was, why field goals happen, and a bunch of other stuff I was hoping would never come up at the dinner.

Later we talked about things that she said I should tell her dad even if they weren't exactly true. Like how my favorite player is Troy Polamalu, and that since American footballs not big over in Finland, I never had a favorite team but I'd been watching the Steelers and I really liked the rough and tumble kind of game they play. Once again that's just what Nicole said I should say.

By the time I kinda felt like I knew what I was talking about when it came to the sport of football, it was one day before her parents and sister arrived.

The guys were teasing me about my sudden interest in the sport before our final game before the holiday break against the Senators.

Nicole's P.O.V.

I sitting in my stall conversing with Tanger about how his family's doing, and big holiday plans and things like that while I got ready for our game.

The puck dropped and the game never really went in our favor. They scored one goal in the first which didn't bother us that much. But when Pascal went down, it hurt all of us. I was quick to his side to help him off the ice and after that is when it all started going down hill. They scored another in the second and we couldn't get any momentum going when they put 3 past Fleury in the 3rd to win the game 5-0.

The plane ride home was eerily quiet. Nobody really said anything. It wasn't the best way to start the break that's suppose to be filled with Christmas cheer. But when we landed back in the Burgh we parted ways and wished everybody a happy holidays, I decided to stop by the Dupius house to see if they wanted any help with anything.

The kids were happy to see me again and Carole-Lyne asked if I could watch the kids while she went to visit Pascal in the hospital.

"I saw it on TV but how bad was it?" She asked quietly so she didn't disrupted the kids.

"I'm not sure. But I can tell you he's going to be out for a while." I told her, kind of sugar coating it.

"Ok. Thank you for watching the kids." She said hugging me and then walking out the door.

I babysat until maybe 11pm and by then all the kids were asleep in bed and I was watching some TV when Mrs. Duper walked back in.

"What is it?" I asked turning the TV off and standing up.

"Torn ACL. They said he'll be out probably the rest of the season." She told me, almost breaking my heart.

"Ok. He'll be ok. You know as good as anyone how strong he is." I hugged her and then walked out the door, in dyer need of some sleep.

***

Olli's P.O.V.

To say I was nervous was an understatement. Her parents were in the city but I hadn't met them yet. She told me that they were more than happy to have me over for dinner and that made me slightly less nervous, but only slightly.

"You nervous for dinner with your girlyfriend?" Jayson teased from his bed.

"She's not my girlfriend!" I told him for the thousandth time.

"Yes she is. She told me."

"Wh-what?" I asked, shocked Nic actually would admit it.

"Ya. I told her about how you mumble her name in your sleep and your screensaver." He told me, "and then she admitted it."

"Ok. Well ya but, please don't tell anybody!" I pleaded.

"I won't. Now go have fun with your girl!" He said as I walked out of our apartment, "Use protection!"

I drove to her apartment about 15 minutes before her family arrived. I walked in and I could smell the ham baking in the oven and the pies cooling on the table. I hate to be stereotypical but she really is a good cook!

"You my dear," I stopped to kiss her cheek, "look stunning."

"Thank you. Can you take the ham out of the oven?" She asked smoothing her hair.

"Sure." I said grabbing the oven mitts and taking the ham out.

We set up the make shift table at the coffee table and the buffet thing on her island. I checked myself in the mirror one last time before she answered the door, I fixed my hair hoping it didn't look to askew. Her family walked in and I addressed them as Mr. Mrs. and Ms. Her mom quickly told me just to call her Heather, and her sister told me to call her Morgan, along with a flirtatious smile that made me laugh to myself. But her father told me to address him as Mr. St. Claire.

Notes

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